Godavari Arch Bridge
The Godavari Arch Bridge is a bowstring-girder bridge that spans the Godavari River in Rajahmundry, India. It is the latest of the three bridges that span the Godavari river at Rajahmundry. The Havelock Bridge being the earliest, was built in 1897, and having served its full utility, was decommissioned in 1997. The second bridge known as the Godavari Bridge is a truss bridge and is India's third longest road-cum-rail bridge crossing a water body.
Godavari Arch Bridge | |
|---|---|
The Godavari Arch Bridge in Rajahmundry | |
| Coordinates | 17°00′28.2″N 81°45′21″E |
| Carries | Single Railway lane |
| Crosses | Godavari River |
| Locale | Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh |
| Other name(s) | Rajahmundry-Kovvur Bridge |
| Owner | Indian Railways |
| Maintained by | Indian Railways |
| Preceded by | Godavari Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Bowstring-Girder |
| Total length | 2,745 metres (9,006 ft) |
| Longest span | 97.552 metres (320 ft) |
| No. of spans | 28 twin arches |
| Piers in water | 28 |
| History | |
| Designer | Hindustan Construction Company |
| Constructed by | Hindustan Construction Company |
| Construction start | 1991 |
| Construction end | 1997 |
| Opened | March 12, 1997 |
| Replaces | Havelock Bridge |
| Location | |
The bridge is one of the longest span prestressed concrete arch bridges in Asia. The Indian Railways who built this bridge have stated that "It is perhaps for the first time anywhere in the world that a bowstring arch girder using concrete has been constructed for such a long span of 97.55 metres (320.0 ft), and that too for the Railway loading." It has been widely used to represent Rajahmundry in arts, media, and culture. It is one of the recognised symbols of Rajahmundry.