The Farakka Setu or Farakka Bridge is a four-lane bridge located 500 meters downstream[4] of Farakka Barrage. The bridge is intended to reduce traffic congestion on the Farakka Barrage and to connect North and South Bengal. Once finished, the bridge, including the main and connecting bridge, will span 5.468 km (3.398 mi).[1] When the bridge is finished, it will be the longest bridge in West Bengal and one of the highest bridges in India. The total construction cost of the bridge has been estimated at ₹521 crore, or roughly 65 million USD.[1] Construction began in January 2019. RKEC Projects is working on the construction of the bridge in conjunction with Qingdao Construction Engineering.[1]
Farakka Setu | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 24°48′01″N 87°56′10″E / 24.800201°N 87.936061°E |
| Carries | 4-lane traffic[1] |
| Crosses | Ganges River[1] |
| Locale | Farakka - Lakshmipur, West Bengal[1] |
| Other name(s) | Farakka Bridge |
| Maintained by | National Highways Authority of India |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Girder bridge[1] |
| Total length | 5.468 kilometres (17,940 ft)[1] |
| Width | 25 metres (82 ft)[2] |
| No. of lanes | 4[2][3] |
| History | |
| Constructed by | RKEC Projects[1] |
| Construction start | 1 January 2019 |
| Construction end | 2021-2022 (Estimated) |
| Construction cost | ₹521 crore [1] |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | Passenger and freight vehicles |
| Location | |
 | |
History
editProject Approval
editIn October 2016, India's Union Council of Ministers passed a bill for the construction of the bridge. At the beginning of 2018, construction work was given to a foreign company.
Construction
editOn January 1 2019, RKEC Projects began construction. Work began on the north bank of the Ganges from Lakshmipur in the Malda district and Farakka in the Murshidabad district on the south bank.[5] Two separate roads cross the 4 lane bridge, each 12.5 meters wide.[6]
Accident
editOn February 16, 2020, while construction of a girder was underway between Pillars 1 and 2, the girder broke, causing 2 fatalities and 7 injuries.[7][8][9][10][11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "RKEC bags ₹ 520 cr bridge project in West Bengal". www.thehindubusinessline.com. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ a b "NHAI/WB/DPRFarakka/418(B)/2017". Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ Abhijit Sinha (22 November 2016). "Tender out for new bridge at Farakka". Siliguri: www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "পশ্চিমবঙ্গে দ্বিতীয় ফারাক্কা সেতু নির্মিত হচ্ছে" (in Bengali). প্রথম আলো. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "ভেঙে পড়ল ফারাক্কা ব্যারেজের নির্মীয়মাণ সেতু, মৃত অন্তত ২". এই সময়. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "উজান গাঙে মিলল নয়া ফরাক্কার ছাড়পত্র". আনন্দবাজার পত্রিকা. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ West Bengal: 1 dead after portion of under-construction bridge collapses in Malda, www.indiatoday.in, 16 February 2020, retrieved 17 February 2020
- ^ কাজ শুরুর দেড় বছরের মধ্যেই ফরাক্কায় ভাঙল নির্মীয়মাণ সেতু, মৃত ২ শ্রমিক, bengali.news18.com, 16 February 2020, retrieved 17 February 2020
- ^ 2 killed, 7 injured after girder of under-construction bridge collapses in West Bengal, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 16 February 2020, retrieved 17 February 2020
- ^ West Bengal: 2 Dead, Over 5 Injured After Part of Under-construction Bridge Collapses in Malda, www.india.com, 16 February 2020, retrieved 17 February 2020
- ^ Two killed, seven injured after girder of under-construction bridge collapses in Bengal, www.newindianexpress.com, 16 February 2020, retrieved 17 February 2020