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Napier Bridge is a road bridge over the Coovum River in
In 1868, Francis Napier, then Governor of Madras, planned to build a bridge across the mouth of the Cooum River. The
The newly built western carriageway is -wide with the original eastern side carriageway measuring in width, and wide footpaths. The bridge is long consisting of six spans with bowstring arches on either side across the mouth of the Cooum river. The bridge was painted white, which was maintained till the early 2020s.
In 2010, the bridge was illuminated by 464 LED bulbs at a cost of . The lighting was done by
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, India. It connects Fort St. George with the Marina Beach, and is one of the historic structures and landmarks of the city. The first iron bridge was built in 1869, which was rebuilt further in 1909 and 1944. A new concrete bridge was added to the west of the original bridge in 1999 to handle additional lanes of traffic.
History
In 1868, Francis Napier, then Governor of Madras, planned to build a bridge across the mouth of the Cooum River. The cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
lattice bridge was built in 1869, and connected the Fort St. George in northern Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
with the other side of the city. However, due to corrosion, the bridge had to be replaced by a new bridge with large iron girders in 1909. The new bridge was prone to lightning strike
A lightning strike or lightning bolt is a lightning event in which an electric discharge takes place between the atmosphere and the ground. Most originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning ...
s, which led to the installation of a lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it is most likely to strike the rod and be conducted ...
later. The iron bridge became weaker towards the end of the 1930s, and plans were made to construct a new bridge at a cost of .
The new bridge was built with pre-stressed concrete and was the first such bridge to be built in India. It was built by Gannon Dunkerley, and the construction was supervised by the Madras Port Trust. The construction involved the utilization of 240 tonnes of steel
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
and 500 tonnes of cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
. The bridge was opened for traffic in 1944. In 1999, a new bridge was added to the western side of the existing bridge.
Design
The newly built western carriageway is -wide with the original eastern side carriageway measuring in width, and wide footpaths. The bridge is long consisting of six spans with bowstring arches on either side across the mouth of the Cooum river. The bridge was painted white, which was maintained till the early 2020s.
In 2010, the bridge was illuminated by 464 LED bulbs at a cost of . The lighting was done by Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
-based firm LDP Lighting and it was designed to give an illusion of a floating bridge in the night. In 2020, the lighting was upgraded to a dynamic lighting system. In 2022, the bridge was painted in a checkered pattern similar to a chessboard ahead of the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai. The artwork drew mixed reaction from the people, being praised by some while others raised concerns that the pattern was disorienting.
See also
* Architecture of Chennai * Heritage structures in ChennaiReferences
{{Chennai Topics Bridges completed in 1869 Bridges and flyovers in Chennai Bridges over the Cooum River Road bridges in India 1869 establishments in India