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The Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata, is also popularly known as Second Hoogly Bridge. The bridge is a toll bridge that is made over the river Hoogly in West Bengal. The bridge creates a link between the cities of Howrah and Kolkata.

The Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata has a length of a total of 823 meters. This bridge is the second bridge that has been built across river Hoogly, as the first is Howrah Bridge, also known as the Rabindra Setu. The name Vidyasagar Setu was given after the great educationist PanditIshwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

The History behind the construction of this bridge-

Indira Gandhi was the one who dropped the foundation stone for this bridge on 20th May 1972. The bridge cost 3.88 billion rupees and took 22 years to get constructed. There are three more bridges that connect Kolkata with Howrah through the Hoogly River. The three bridges are The Howrah bridge, or the Rabindra Setu, the Vivekananda Setu and the Nivedita Setu.

Construction of the Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata

Schlaich Bergermann designed the bridge with the help of his partners. The BBJ construction company carried out the construction. The HRBC was responsible for all the bridge’s commissioning operations. The development of the bridge began in the year 1979, July 3rd. Then later in 1992, October 10ththeHoogly River Bridge Commission approved the bridge.

The traffic projections which were made for the bridge at the stage of planning have not yet been achieved. There was a survey which was carried out for almost a week during June 2012; it recorded traffic of 28000 vehicles on the bridge in comparison to the projected 85000. There was some severe monsoon during that year, which resulted in failed surveys; therefore it became the reason for the fall in traffic.

Architecture of the bridge-

The Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata has 121 cables of steel arranged in a structure that looks like can, 115 feet wide and 418 feet high. The bridge has three lanes, each made for heading in different directions. Along with wide footpaths available on both sides of the bridge, the bridge has important components like lightning arresters, crash barriers, lifts in pylons, gas service, and even maintenance gantry.

Over these years, many accidents have taken place on this bridge, which had resulted in some serious traffic congestions. Sometimes, these accidents have even led to bridge closure for hours. The HRBC has, therefore, started to make plans for entry ramps and exits so that the situations which have occurred earlier can be avoided.

With emergency exits, hours of closure of the bridge can be avoided. Because of these ramps, there is also smooth flow of traffic. The other plans for the bridge are the installation of LED lamps all across the bridge.

To help with easy traffic flow, on the bridge, a system for electric toll collection was scheduled too.

Where to find the Vidyasagar Setu?

The Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata is popularly known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, can be found in Kolkata over the River Hooghly (Ganges) in West Bengal. The bridge brings the two very important and pulsating cities together, Kolkata and Howrah.

Significance of the Vidyasagar Setu-

The Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata was built so that the pressure of Rabindra Setu can be reduced. Because of that, it became such a significant megastructure of Kolkata. The work is done on Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata, a cable-stayed bridge, began with the construction of good curb on Calcutta bank end.

The bridge after commissioning became the longest span bridge in the world of that type. At that time the Vidyasagar Setu , Kolkata was the very first cable-stayed bridge that was made in India and the largest found in Asia.

The bridge connects the two critical metropolitan cities Howrah and Kolkata. The vehicles passing by the on the bridge have to pay toll charges but it is free for bicycles.