| Description: | Bridges are fascinating engineering masterpieces and the majestic Vidyasagar Setu is no exception. Since the river Hooghly flows perennially through the heart of Kolkata, the city has witnessed the building of rather colossal bridges, which reflect a high degree of engineering skills.
With the burgeoning growth of traffic in Kolkata, the city administrators prudently built another gorgeous bridge - Vidyasagar Setu which links Kolkata with Southern Howrah. This magnificent bridge was opened to vehicular traffic in the year 1992 and immediately became an instant hit with the city's zooming traffic.
The bridge has been meticulously designed and is built on three span double plane cable with a length of approximately 2,699.3 feet which easily makes it the longest bridge of its kind in Asia. What is more, with a central span of 457 m and with pot bearings of 9000 KN, it is indeed an awesome landmark.
The best time to visit this majestic bridge is during the evening twilight. As you witness the red molten ball gracefully setting on the distant horizon and with dusk descending on the city-of-joy, the lights come on the entire Vidyasagar Setu stretch and it appears like a bejeweled bride with the glittering lights aesthetically revealing its surreal beauty.
There are a number of vantage positions on the middle of the bridge from where you can experience the magnificent sweep of the eternal Hooghly river as it meanders gracefully. At a distance, you will find a lonely boat with is sail fluttering, which makes for a kaleidoscopic vignette.
The bridge gives the impression of literally hanging on its cables and the fact that it provides breathtaking views of the Kolkata skyline, makes it a red hot destination for the discerning film producers. The grandiose setting of the bridge and the superb panaromic views that the bridge offers has lured many renowned film producers to shoot cameos here.
For instance, the climax of Bollywood blockbuster -"Yuva" was shot at Vidyasagar Setu involving super brat Vivek Oberoi riding on a high speed motor bike. Although the actor meet with an accident, colliding with a motorcyclist, the film performed creditably at the box office.
If you are coming from downtown Kolkata, you could drive through Vidyasagar Setu all the way to the Botanical Garden which is a great place for nature based holidays, blessed as it is with a bewildering variety of flora and fauna. |
