Coronation Bridge : Standing tall awaiting heritage call!

The Coronation Bridge,
also known as the
Sevoke Bridge, in
Darjeeling district of
West Bengal , India,
spans across the Teesta
River, connecting the
districts of Darjeeling
and Jalpaiguri. National
Highway 31 runs across
it.
It was named to
commemorate the
coronation of King
George VI in 1937 and
was completed in 1941 at
a cost of Rs 4 lakhs. [1]
The foundation stone of
the bridge was laid by
John Anderson , the-
then Governor of Bengal
in 1937.
Locals call the bridge
Baghpool, meaning tiger
bridge, because of the
two lion statues (bagh
actually means tiger) at
one entrance of the
bridge. The bridge is
also called Lohapul (Iron
Bridge) as it is made of
steel.
John Chambers, the last
British executive
Engineer of the
Darjeeling Division Public
Works Department
(PWD), carried out the
design, drawing and
planning of the bridge.
Messrs J.C. Gammon,
from Bombay , was the
contractor. The bridge
was built on the
Reinforced Concrete
system. Since it was not
possible to obtain
support from the Teesta
river bed due to the
depth and current of
water, the entire bridge
was supported by a
fixed arch, which had its
two ends fixed on rock
layers on either side of
the river. “Given its
architectural and
historical value, the
bridge should be
declared a heritage site.
Traffic should be
regulated and
maintenance work
carried out properly,”
Bagchi said.