Nivedita Setu

Second Vivekananda Bridge (also called Nivedita Setu) is a multi-span extradosed bridge completed 2007 over Hooghly River connecting Howrah with Kolkata, in West Bengal. It runs parallel to and about 50 m downstream of the old Vivekananda Setu opened in 1932. The bridge is named after Sister Nivedita, the social worker-disciple of Swami Vivekananda. Belghoria Expressway that connects the meeting point of NH 16 with NH 19 at Dankuni to NH 12, NH 112, Dumdum/Kolkata Airport and northern parts of Kolkata passes over the bridge. The bridge is designed to carry 48,000 vehicles per day.

Second Vivekananda Bridge Tollway Company Private Limited (SVBTC)

Second Vivekananda Bridge Tollway Company Private Limited (SVBTC) is the Concessionaire holding the 30-year franchise as per the Concession Agreement ("CA") signed on 2^nd September 2002 between Second Vivekananda Bridge Tollway Company Private Limited and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, which includes a tri-partite State Support Agreement ("SSA") signed between SVBTC, NHAI and the Government of West Bengal ("GoWB").

Company structure

SVBTC serves as an iconic symbol of Indo-American collaboration in technology, management & investment in the highway & bridge sector.  SVBTC continues to rank as India’s largest BOT Bridge Tollway on a standalone basis, with the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the surface transport sector in entire eastern India. SVBTC has now completed fifteen (15) years of successful Operations on 4^th July 2022, with an AA+/Stable Rating by CRISIL. Upon completion in record time, SVBTC won the prestigious American Segmental Bridge Institute (ASBI) Award of Excellence in the global international category, the first ever for a major Indian river bridge.  SVBTC established two major World Records in 2007 in the global bridge industry, and SVBTC pioneered the extradosed cable-stayed bridge precast segmental technology for the first time in India, and today, more than 20 major river bridges across India are built / under construction using the same technology.

Despite certain critical local constraints in West Bengal, SVBTC successfully manages over 33,000+ vehicle patrons on average annual daily basis with a 20-lane modern Toll Plaza having fully automatic surveillance and tolling system with FASTag, with already more than 98% FASTag users. We are also successfully implementing proactive preventive and periodic maintenance works at the bridge tollway to ensure the highest standards of service on a 24x7 basis. The Company is currently employing 250+ employees.

History

SVBTC has been working with NHAI since its inception back in 1994-95. After a prolonged land acquisition with the help of West Bengal State Cell, rehabilitation & resettlement program after our project award, we signed our landmark Concession Agreement with NHAI in September 2002, completed the 6.1 Kms 6 lane landmark iconic bridge tollway in a record 39 - months & opened the tollway on 4^th July 2007 as the critical eastern “missing link” of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) of NHAI, connecting major NH network in the east and as a cross river link between the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. During the construction period, the company provided employment to more than 3000 local workers who were fully trained in highly complex bridge and viaduct segmental construction.  

World records

Upon record completion in 39 months in July 2007, the following two World Records were established by SVBTC:

# First ever multi-Span extradosed bridge with seven continuous 110 M spans and two 55 M end spans
# First ever extradosed bridge with the widest width of 29 M using a single plane of stay cables in the central median

* SVBTC represents India’s oldest & largest award-winning privately financed bridge tollway across India on Build – Operate - Transfer (BOT) basis (from 1994 till date)

* SVBTC represents the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the road transport sector in Eastern India (from 1994 till date)

* The new bridge is located 50 m downstream of the existing Vivekananda Bridge

* Pioneered innovative extradosed system with short pylons and cable profile within the envelope of the existing bridge that recognizes the heritage of the Dakshineshwar Temple

* Short towers matching the profile of the adjacent truss bridge

Project at a glance

* Techno-Economic feasibility study by the Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST): 1993
* Project Bidding & Award: 1994 – 95
* Land acquisition, environmental clearances & Govt. permits: 1996 – 2002
* Concession Agreement Signing: 2^nd Sept. 2002
* Financial Close: 26^th March 2004
* Turnkey Construction: 39 months
* Commence Operations: 4^th July 2007

Design

The 1932 Vivekananda Setu had become weak as a result of ageing and with heavy traffic even repairs became difficult. There was need for a second bridge.

The main challenge was to design and construct a new bridge that did not mar the view of the old Vivekananda Setu, did not dwarf the historically important Dakshineswar Kali Temple which is located well within visible distance, and carry substantially higher levels of fast traffic for around half a century.

The bridge rests on deep-well foundations going down to the river bed level. It carries six lanes for high speed traffic. The carriageway is supported by 254 pre-stressed concrete girders. Cables from 14m high pylons extend additional support.

Second Vivekananda Bridge is the first bridge in the country that is a single profile cable-stayed bridge. By design, the height of the columns are lower than the tip of the Dakshineswar temple.

Construction

This bridge is estimated to cost approximately Rs. 6,50 crore. The construction of the bridge started in April 2004, by the construction giant Larsen and Toubro and was opened to traffic in a record time in July 2007.

The bridge is the India's first multi-span, single-plane cable-supported extradosed bridge; with short pylons and seven continuous spans of 110 m, totaling a length of 880 m (2,887 feet). It is 29 m wide and supports 6 lanes of traffic.

Construction Methodology - Foundation

* Floating steel Caisson (150 Ton approx.) used for a good foundation
* For the first time the good cap was flushed with the river bed to reduce silting after doing hydraulic model study

Caissons/Well foundation

Design of good foundations modelled in 3D finite element and analyzed to integrate steel caisson with reinforcement steel and concrete of the well

Benefits

* Second Vivekananda Bridge provides National, regional and local high-speed connectivity through national & state highways / expressways
* Provides Impetus for all-round regional development
* Economic and Social Benefits
*# Savings in Vehicle Operating and Maintenance Costs
*# Sturdier supply chain for the industry
*# Safer travel

* SVBTC serves as the critical Missing Link of NHAI’S original Golden quadrilateral (GQ) program connecting the four major metro cities of India

* Critical cross – river Link over River Hooghly between NH-12 (old NH 34) & NH – 112 (Old NH – 35) on the eastern side and NH- 19 (old NH -2) & NH – 16 (old NH 6) on the western side 

* Most preferred fast & efficient regional route connecting the twin cities of Kolkata & Howrah with major savings of time and fuel

* Seamless drive from western districts across River Hooghly to the Kolkata Airport, New Town, EM Bypass & all eastern districts

* Major religious corridor linking Belur Math on the western bank to the Dakshineshwar Temple on the eastern bank of River Hooghly

* The 6.1 km six-lane bridge tollway comprises an 880 m six–lane rail bridge, together with six approach ramps viaducts, two rail underpasses, one 8 – lane rail over bridge

* 20 – lane modern Toll Plaza with fully automated tolling & Traffic management system with FASTag

* Safe travel with 24 x 7 CCTV surveillance with emergency tolling services, fire – tenders, medical first-aid, ambulance and toilet facilities

* Weigh–in–Motion & Static Weigh Bridges for restricting over-loading trucks

Award

Award of Excellence conferred by American Segmental Bridge Institute (ASBI) in 2007 for the technically advanced first ever Bridge built in India

Toll

As of 2022, the toll charges for using Second Vivekananda Bridge for single journey are:
* ₹ 60— Car, Passenger, Van or Jeep
* ₹ 115 — Bus
* ₹ 165 — Light Good Vehicle (LGV)
* ₹ 280 — Truck
* ₹ 330 — Multi Axle Vehicle and Earth equipments and heavy contraction machinery including, without limitation, oversized vehicles carryings boilers, turbines, generators

See also

* List of longest bridges in the world
*List of longest bridges above water in India

References

External links

Image of bridgeAnother image of bridge

{{North 24 Parganas topics

Extradosed bridges in India
Toll bridges in India
Bridges in Kolkata
Bridges over the Ganges
Sister Nivedita
Buildings and structures in Howrah district
Transport in Howrah
Tourist attractions in Howrah
2007 establishments in West Bengal
Bridges completed in 2007
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