Ellis Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 23°01′20″N72°34′31″E / 23.02222°N 72.57528°E |
Carried | Road traffic |
Crossed | Sabarmati River |
Locale | Ellis Bridge area, Ahmedabad |
Official name | Swami Vivekananda Bridge |
Named for | Sir Barrow Helbert Ellis |
Maintained by | Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation |
Heritage status | Protected site since 1989 |
Preceded by | Nehru bridge |
Followed by | Sardar bridge |
Characteristics | |
Design | Bowstring arch truss bridge |
Material | Steel, cum Cement, Alloy |
Total length | 480 metres (1,570 ft) |
Width | 6.3 metres (21 ft) |
No. of spans | 14 |
Piers in water | 28 |
Load limit | 1196 tonnes |
History | |
Constructed by | Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech |
Construction start | 1889 |
Construction end | 1892 |
Construction cost | Rs 407564 |
Opened | 1892 |
Collapsed | Wooden bridge (1870–1875) |
Closed | 1997 |
Replaced | Concrete bridge (1999-present) |
Location | |
The Ellis Bridge is a century-old bridge in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It bridges the western and eastern parts of the city across the Sabarmati river. This bowstring arch truss bridge was the first bridge in Ahmedabad, constructed in 1892. Concrete wings were added on either side in 1997 and it was renamed the Swami Vivekananda Bridge. [1]
The original wooden bridge was constructed by British engineers in 1870–1871 at a cost of £54,920 (Rs. 5,49,200). Except for two spans on banks, it was destroyed by floods in 1875. [2] A steel bridge was built in 1892 by engineer Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech and named after Sir Barrow Helbert Ellis, the commissioner of the North Zone. The steel was imported from Birmingham. Himmatlal built it at a cost of Rs 407,000 which was lower than the budget of Rs 500,000. The government grew suspicious and thought that low quality materials were used by Himmatlal. An inquiry committee was set up and found that the construction was of superior quality. For saving government money, Himmatlal was subsequently honoured with the title of Rao Sahib. [3] [4]
The foundation block of the Ellis bridge was later moved to the Sanskar Kendra. It reads,
The Ellis Bridge - So named by Government after Sir Barrow Helbert Ellis : K.G.S.I. was built in 1869 and 1870. At a cost of Rs:549,210 destroyed by the great flood of 22 September 1875 and rebuilt in 1890 and 1895 by Government, Local Bodies and Private Subscribers. At a further cost of Rs. 407,564. This the First Stone of the new bridge was laid by His Excellency Donald James eleventh Lord Reay C.C.I.E.LL.D. Governor of Bombay 19 December 1889.
Thousands heard Mahatma Gandhi declaring his Dandi march on 8 March 1930 from the Ellis bridge. [5]
Proposals to pull down the bridge were made in 1973, 1983 and 1986 but were rejected. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation declared the Ellis bridge and its boundary, Manek Burj and the natural water drain near one of the banks of Sabarmati river protected sites in May 1989. [3]
The original steel bridge was narrow and not suited for heavy motorized traffic and so it was closed in 1997. New concrete bridges were constructed on either side of the steel bridge to support heavy traffic in 1999 at cost of ₹18 crore (equivalent to ₹77 croreorUS$9.7 million in 2023), and the original steel bridge is preserved as a heritage landmark. After the documentation, the Manek Burj was partially removed and Ganesh Bari, the Maratha constructed gate, was reconstructed to make space for the bridge. The bridge has been renamed Swami Vivekananda bridge after Swami Vivekanand. [3] [6] [7]
It was found that steel piers of the bridge became corroded due to pollution in the Sabarmati river. Consultants appointed for strengthening the bridge, proposed its demolition in 2012 since building a new bridge would be cheaper than strengthening the existing one. It was also planned to run the Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System buses on the new bridge. It is proposed that the steel arches of the old steel bridge should be preserved and placed back on the new bridge. [5] [6] [8] Later the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation shelved the proposal of the new bridge for the bus system. [9] [10]
In 2020, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation consulted an agency to propose the conservation measures and to do metallurgical studies. The redevelopment proposal was prepared but the project has not been implemented as of 2023. [11] [12]
This 120-year-old bridge has become an landmark and a symbol of Ahmedabad. [3] [5] It was featured in several films, such as Kai Po Che! (2013) and Kevi Rite Jaish (2012). The Karnavati Art Gallery is at the western end of the bridge.
Ahmedabad is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 makes it the fifth-most populous city in India, and the encompassing urban agglomeration population estimated at 6,357,693 is the seventh-most populous in India. Ahmedabad is located near the banks of the Sabarmati River, 25 km (16 mi) from the capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, also known as its twin city.
This page provides a historical timeline of Ahmedabad, the sixth largest city in India.
The Historic City of Ahmadabad or Old Ahmedabad, the walled city of Ahmedabad in India, was founded by Ahmad Shah I of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1411. It remained the capital of the state of Gujarat for six centuries and later became the important political and commercial centre of Gujarat. Today, despite having become crowded and dilapidated, it still serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Ahmedabad. It was inscribed as the World Heritage City by UNESCO in July 2017.
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Sabarmati Riverfront is a waterfront being developed along the banks of Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, India. Proposed in the 1960s, the construction began in 2005. Since 2012, under Phase 1, the waterfront is gradually opened to public as and when facilities are constructed and various facilities are actively under construction. The major objectives of project are environment improvement, social infrastructure and sustainable development. Phase 2 was approved in 2020.
Sanskar Kendra is a museum at Ahmedabad, India, designed by the architect Le Corbusier. It is a city museum depicting history, art, culture and architecture of Ahmedabad. Another Patang Kite Museum is there which includes a collection of kites, photographs, and other artifacts. The campus is located at the west end of Sardar Bridge near Paldi.
Swami Vivekananda Airport, formerly known as Mana Airport, is a domestic airport serving the state of Chhattisgarh, India. The airport is located at Mana, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) south-east of Raipur and 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Naya Raipur, situated conveniently between the two cities. On 24 January 2012, the airport was renamed after Swami Vivekananda, the iconic Hindu monk and philosopher who spent three years of his youth in Raipur between 1877 and 1879.
Ahmedabad Metro is a rapid transit system for the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat state of India.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium is an Indian sports stadium located in the Navrangpura locality of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India it is sometimes referred as Sports Club of Gujarat Stadium. The stadium hosted the first One Day International match played in India. It is owned by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. It is mainly used for cricket, but it has also played host to a number of programs arranged by the Government of Gujarat.
Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR) or Mumbai–Ahmedabad HSR is an under-construction high-speed rail line, which will connect Mumbai, the financial hub of India, with Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujarat. When completed, it will be India's first high-speed rail line.
Bhadra Fort is situated in the walled city area of Ahmedabad, India. It was built by Ahmad Shah I in 1411. With its well carved royal palaces, mosques, gates and open spaces, it was renovated in 2014 by the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a cultural centre for the city.
Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world. The 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated all over India and in different countries in the world. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports of India decided to observe 2013 as the year of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Year-long events and programs were organised by different branches of Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, central government and different state governments of India, education institutions, youth groups etc. Bengali film director Tutu (Utpal) Sinha made a film The Light: Swami Vivekananda as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. The movie was released on 23 August 2013.
Er.Ing. Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachech, Rao Bahadur - (1844-1922) was a Civil Engineer in the PWD of British India.
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Baba Maneknath was 15th century legendary Hindu saint who lived on the banks of Sabarmati river near present city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
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The Irish Presbyterian Mission high school, abbreviated as I P Mission School, is a school in Ahmedabad. Established in 1866 by the Irish Presbyterian Mission, it grew over the years in the major educational institutions group.
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