UP: Plan afoot to make skywalk over historic Curzon Bridge
A skywalk over Ganga in Allahabad may soon become a reality.
A skywalk over Ganga in Allahabad may soon become a reality.
The district administration has sent a proposal to the railways for developing a skywalk, which could offer breathtaking beauty of the majestic river, over century old Curzon Bridge.
The bridge connects Allahabad with Phaphamau from Teliarganj area over Ganga river. It has road on top and railway line below making it an engineering marvel. Though railways has abandoned the bridge long time back it is still frequented by pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.
“The bridge offers a marvellous view of sunrise and sunset and it could be developed as a prominent tourist site,” said divisional commissioner Ashish Kumar Goel, who has sent a proposal to the railways.
Goel said the bold design of Curzon Bridge makes it unique. It is a historical site and a landmark. While in south of Allahabad the New Yamuna Bridge offers a magnificent view of the holy rivers, in north side the Curzon bridge offers the same view to people passing from it, he added.
The construction of the bridge was sanctioned in 1901 as a state railway bridge. The bridge has a single broad gauge (BG) line between the girders and a roadway on top. The engineer-in-charge was Robert Richard Gales. It opened for Railway Traffic on June 15, 1905. It opened for road traffic on December 20, 1905.
The commissioner said the plan to connect the Curzon Bridge with Heritage Walk is also on cards. Amid reports of railways planning to dismantle the bridge, the commissioner said an appeal has been made to instead develop the same as a heritage site.