Napier Bridge

Last updated

Napier Bridge
Napier Bridge 01.jpg
A view of the Napier Bridge from Swami Sivanandha Salai
Coordinates 13°04′08″N80°17′04″E / 13.0688°N 80.2845°E / 13.0688; 80.2845
Carries6 lanes of traffic and pedestrians
Crosses Cooum river
Locale Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Characteristics
MaterialConcrete
Longest span138 m (452.8 ft)
History
Construction start1869;155 years ago (1869)
1999;25 years ago (1999) (appended)
Location
Napier Bridge

Napier Bridge is a bridge in Chennai, India, built over the Coovum River, connecting Fort St. George with the Marina beach. It is also one of the historic structures and landmark of the city.

Contents

History

One of the city's oldest bridges, it was built in 1869 by Francis Napier who was the Governor of Madras at the time of the direct rule from the British crown. from 1866 to 1872. [1]

Structure

Alongside the iron bridge built in 1869, a new bridge was built in 1999 with a 10.5 m (34 ft)-wide carriageway on the western side. The eastern side carriageway is 9.75 m (32.0 ft) in width. The bridge is 138 m (453 ft) long with 6 spans (bowstrings) across the river near its mouth. [2] It has 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide footpaths.

Beautification

Napier Bridge at night Nappier bridge.jpg
Napier Bridge at night
Napier Bridge view from the Coovum River Napier Bridge view from Coovum River.jpg
Napier Bridge view from the Coovum River

As part of the Marina Beach beautification project, special lights have been fixed beneath the bridge providing a visual effect as if the bridge is floating on the river water. A combination of lighting effects has been created on the arches and surface using 464 bulbs and fixtures. [3] The lights and fixtures covered the outer arch, inner arch, edge, bottom, road and pedestrian pathways of the bridge. The 1.62 crore (equivalent to 3.6 croreorUS$460,000 in 2023) special lighting arrangement was inaugurated by the then Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin, on 27 July 2010. [4]

The lighting designers for the bridge's new look was awarded to LDP Lighting of Sydney, Australia, who have also designed the lighting for the Erasmus Bridge Rotterdam, [5] Sydney Harbour Bridge, [6] and the Sydney Opera House. [7]

In 2022, the bridge was painted as a chessboard ahead of the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, India. [8] [9] While some commentators liked the artwork, others raised concerns that the pattern was disorienting, especially for people with anxiety disorder. [10] The chessboard pattern also led to traffic congestion as people thronged to the bridge to take selfies and record Instagram Reels. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Beach</span> Beach in Chennai, India

Marina Beach, or simply the Marina, is a natural urban beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of 6.0 km (3.7 mi), making it the second longest urban beach in the world, after Cox's Bazar Beach. It is a prominent landmark in Chennai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Chennai Corporation</span> Local government of Chennai City

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is a local government for the City of Chennai in the Chennai Metropolitan Area of Tamil Nadu, India. Inaugurated on 29 September 1688, under a royal charter issued by King James II of England on 30 December 1687 as the Corporation of Madras, it is the oldest municipal body of the Commonwealth of Nations outside Great Britain. It is the largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu with an area of 426 km2. It is headed by a mayor, who presides over 200 councillors, each of whom represents one of the 200 wards of the city. It is the second oldest corporation in the world after the City of London. The city limits, which had been expanded several times over the years, is currently coterminous with the Chennai district. It is one of the four municipal corporations located within the Chennai Metropolitan Area, the other three being the Tambaram Corporation, Avadi City Municipal Corporation and Kanchipuram Municipal Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TIDEL Park</span> Tech Park in Chennai, India

TIDEL Park is an information technology (IT) park situated in the city of Chennai, India. The name TIDEL is a portmanteau of TIDCO and ELCOT. An ISO 9001/14001 company, In 2000, it was one of the largest IT parks in India. It was set up in 2000 to foster the growth of information technology in the state of Tamil Nadu by the TIDEL Park Ltd, a joint venture of TIDCO and ELCOT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Jubilee Bridge</span> Bridge in northwest England

The Silver Jubilee Bridge crosses the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal at Runcorn Gap between Runcorn and Widnes in Halton, England. It is a through arch bridge with a main arch span of 361 yards. It was opened in 1961 as a replacement for the Widnes–Runcorn Transporter Bridge. In 1975–77 the carriageway was widened, after which the bridge was given its official name in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. It carries the A533 road and a cantilevered footway. The bridge is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. The bridge was closed to vehicles for refurbishment upon the opening of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge, but reopened as a toll bridge in February 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooum River</span> River in Tamil Nadu, India

The Cooum river, or simply Koovam, is one of the shortest classified rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. This river is about 72 km (45 mi) in length, flowing 32 km (20 mi) in the city of Chennai and the rest in rural part. The river is highly polluted in the urban area (Chennai). Along with the Adyar River running parallel to the south and the Kosasthalaiyar River, the river trifurcates the city of Chennai and separates Northern Chennai from Central Chennai. It is also sometimes known as Thiruvallikenni river

Mahatma Gandhi Setu is a bridge over the river Ganges in Bihar, India, connecting Patna in the south to Hajipur in the north. Its length is 5,750 metres (18,860 ft) and it is the third-longest river bridge in India. It was inaugurated in May 1982 in a ceremony in Hajipur by the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi. From 1982 to 2017, Mahatma Gandhi Setu remained as the longest bridge in India. Later, Gandhi Setu rehabilitation project was undertaken to install triangular steel trusses on Mahatma Gandhi Setu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esplanade Bridge</span> Bridge in Singapore

The Esplanade Bridge is a 261-metre-long (850 ft.) road bridge that spans across the mouth of the Singapore River in Singapore with the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay on its northern abutment and the Merlion on the southern. The 70 metre-wide (230 ft.) low-level concrete arched bridge has seven spans and supports two four-lane carriageways and walkways along both sides.

The Jammu–Baramulla line is a railway track being laid to connect the Kashmir Valley in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir with Jammu railway station and thence to the rest of the country. The 338 km railway track will start from Jammu and end at Baramulla. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Firozpur railway division of Indian Railways' Northern zone. Part of this railway route from Udhampur to Baramulla is known as Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL). The 359 m (1,178 ft) tall Chenab Bridge lies on this line, which is the tallest railway bridge in the world. The total project cost in 2022 was INR28,000 crore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chenab Rail Bridge</span> Railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, India

The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge carrying a single-track railway line, located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of the Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, making it the world's highest rail bridge. In November 2017, the base supports were declared completed allowing for the start of the construction of the main arch. The bridge was fully completed and was inaugurated in August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIC Building</span> Southern headquarters of the Life Insurance Corporation of India in Chennai

LIC Building is a 15-storied building in Chennai, India, serving as the southern headquarters of the Life Insurance Corporation of India. It is the first skyscraper built in India and an important landmark in the city. Located on the arterial Anna Salai, the building is 54 m (177 ft) tall. Initially built with 12 floors, the LIC Building was the tallest building in India when it was completed in 1959 and was surpassed by Mumbai's first skyscraper, the Usha Kiran Building, in 1961, which is about 80 m (260 ft) high. The building marked the transition from lime-and-brick construction to concrete columns in the region. The building is also known for using pile foundation technique for the first time in the region. It was the tallest building in Chennai for over 35 years before being surpassed by the Hyatt Regency Building on Anna Salai and the Arihant Majestic Towers in Koyambedu, both in the mid-1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennai Trade Centre</span> Building in India

Chennai Trade Centre is a permanent exhibition complex in Nandambakkam, Chennai, hosting several trade fairs and conventions round the year. It is the first fair infrastructure that has been developed by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)—the premier trade promotion agency of the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry—outside Delhi. A joint initiative of the ITPO and the Tamil Nadu Trade Promotion Organisation, which hold 51 and 49 percent stakes, respectively, the Trade Centre was designed by C R Narayan Rao, and was commissioned in January 2001, while the convention centre was commissioned on 1 November 2004. The exhibition hall was constructed at an estimated cost of 23 crore and the convention centre at a cost of 22 crore. Together, these centres cover 10,560 sq m and are fully booked for 75 days in a year. Built over an area of 25.48 acres, the centre comprises four modules of 4,400 m2 each of exhibition halls and support services to be built in a phased manner. In the first phase, two air-conditioned halls without pillars or columns encompassing areas of 5,000 m2 and 1,850 m2 were constructed. There are three halls, viz, Hall No. 1 (4,400 m2), Hall No. 2 (1,760 m2) and Hall No. 3 (4,400 m2). The halls feature a height of 6 m to display all merchandise including machinery. These have been supplemented recently with a modern, fully air-conditioned convention centre. All the halls are inter-linked, and Hall No. 3 is connected with the convention centre. The convention centre can accommodate 2,000 people with a provision for dividing the hall into two equal parts and has an audiovisual facility suitable for multi-purpose use such as conferences, conventions, cultural shows, and so forth. The Chennai Trade Centre is managed by Tamil Nadu Trade Promotion Organisation (TNTPO), a joint venture of ITPO and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidyasagar Setu</span> Cable-stayed toll bridge in West Bengal, India

Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a toll bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India, linking the cities of Kolkata and Howrah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Mahanadi Rail Bridge</span> Bridge in India

The Second Mahanadi Rail Bridge is a rail bridge over the Mahanadi near Cuttack in the Indian state of Odisha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Leela Palace Chennai</span> Luxury hotel in Chennai, India

The Leela Palace Chennai is a 326-room five star deluxe hotel in Chennai, India. It is located at MRC Nagar, Raja Annamalaipuram, in the Adyar Creek area in the southern end of the Marina Beach. The hotel is designed by Atlanta-based architects Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart and Associates, Inc. and is themed after the Chettinad architecture of Tamil Nadu. With the project cost exceeding 8,000 million, the hotel was expected to open in September 2012. However, delays in construction and operation preparation have pushed its inaugural date to January 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M.G.R. and Amma Memorial</span> Memorial complex in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

M.G.R. and Amma Memorial, officially Bharat Ratna Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G.R. and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Selvi J. Jayalalithaa Memorial, is a memorial complex dedicated to the former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.) and J. Jayalalithaa (Amma), where a black marble platform was raised on the spot of M.G.R.'s cremation on 25 December 1987, and on the spot of Jayalalithaa's on 6 December 2016. Both cemeteries consist of an eternal flame and a portrait of them at one end. A stone footpath leads to the lotus-shaped wall enclosure that houses the M.G.R. Memorial, with the sword pillar topped with a spherical-shaped dome light, and a stone footpath leads to the phoenix-shaped wall enclosure that houses the memorial of M.G.R.'s protégé and the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa. The memorial complex is located on Kamarajar Promenade, adjacent to the Anna Memorial on the Marina Beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zuari Bridge</span> Bridge in Goa, India

The Zuari Bridge is a bridge between North Goa and South Goa, India. It carries the NH 66 over the tidal part of the Zuari River, between the villages of Agaçaim and Cortalim. It is a few metres downstream of the Konkan Railway Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">44th Chess Olympiad</span> 2022 chess tournament in Chennai, India

The 44th Chess Olympiad was an international team chess event organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Chennai, India, from 28 July to 10 August 2022. It consisted of Open and Women's tournaments, as well as several events to promote chess. The Olympiad was initially supposed to take place in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, the host of the Chess World Cup 2019, in August 2020, but it was later moved to Moscow. However, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then relocated to Chennai following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This was the first Chess Olympiad to take place in India.

Royapettah Neighbourhood, in Chennai district, in Tamil Nadu State, in India.

Royapettah is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atal Pedestrian Bridge</span> Bridge in Gujarat, India

Atal Pedestrian Bridge is a pedestrian triangular truss bridge at Sabarmati Riverfront on Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It has a design inspired by kites. Inaugurated in 2022, it is 300 metres (980 ft) long and 10 metres (33 ft) to 14 metres (46 ft) wide.

Chennai Formula Racing Circuit is a Formula racing street circuit in Chennai, India.

References

  1. "Special lighting on Napier Bridge". The Hindu . Chennai. 29 July 2010.
  2. "Session-3 River and Drainage System in CMA" (PDF). cmdachennai.gov.in. Retrieved 12 October 2021.[ ]
  3. "Napier Bridge". themadras.in. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  4. "Glowing Napier bridge to float' on Cooum from today". timesofindia. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  5. "IALD LightMap - International Association of Lighting Designers". Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  6. "2008/36/8 Design for 'Our Bridge' lighting proposal". powerhousemuseum.com. 2 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  7. Wing, Jimmie (2 February 2009). "Åndrew Tammes - Mondo arc". Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. "Watch | Chennai's Napier Bridge decked up like a chessboard days ahead of Olympiad". Hindustan Times. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  9. Vasudevan, Shyam (28 July 2022). "Chennai, India's chess capital, welcomes the world (and Carlsen)". Espn.in. ESPN. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  10. Ashish Ittyerah Joseph; Prakash Swaminathan (22 July 2022). "Chennaiites divided over Napier Bridge's chess makeover for Chess Olympiad 2022". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  11. "Napier Bridge's chequered look causing 'reel' traffic trouble: Cops". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 August 2022.