Hardinge Bridge

Hardinge Bridge হার্ডিঞ্জ সেতু
Hardinge Bridge in March 2023
Coordinates	24°04′04″N 89°01′45″E / 24.06778°N 89.02917°E / 24.06778; 89.02917
Carries	Broad-Gauge Rail-line
Crosses	Padma River
Locale	Pabna District & Kushtia District, Bangladesh
Characteristics
Design	Truss bridge
Total length	1,798.32 m (5,900 ft)
History
Designer	A M Rendel[1]
Constructed by	Braithwaite and Kirk[1]
Opened	4 March 1915
Location

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Hardinge Bridge is a steel railway truss bridge over the Padma River located at Ishwardi, Pabna and Bheramara, and Kushtia in Bangladesh. It is named after Lord Hardinge, who was the Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916. The bridge is 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long.^[2]

Construction of the through truss bridge began in 1910,^[2] though it was proposed at least 20 years earlier. It was constructed by Braithwaite and Kirk Company based on design of Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel. It was completed in 1912,^[2] and trains started moving on it in 1915.^[3] Lord Hardinge officially opened the bridge on March 4 of that year.^[4]

The construction of a railway bridge over the Padma was proposed in 1889 by the Eastern Bengal Railway for easier communication between Calcutta and the then Eastern Bengal and Assam. In 1902, Sir FJE Spring prepared a report on the bridge. A technical committee reported that a bridge could be constructed at Sara crossing the lower Ganges between the Paksey and Bheramara Upazila stations on the broad gauge railway from Khulna to Parbatipur Upazila. The construction of the bridge started in 1910 and finished two years later.^[5] The bridge comprises 15 steel trusses. The main girders are modified "Petit" type.

The most difficult task of the operation was to prevent bank erosion and to make the river flow permanently under the bridge. For this, two guide banks of the "Bell-bund" type, named after J. R. Bell were built on either side, each extending 910 metres (3,000 ft) upstream and 300 metres (1,000 ft) downstream from the bridge.^[3] The ends of the river banks were curved inward and heavily pitched with stone.^[3]

Hardinge Bridge was severely damaged during the Liberation War of Bangladesh of 1971. On 13 December 1971, the Indian Air Force bombed on the 4th guarder from the Paksey side. As the Pakistani army was on retreat towards Jessore (their last stronghold) Hardinge Bridge was strategically very important. The allied force damaged the bridge. The Japanese Government helped to reconstruct the bridge.^[4] The bridge was reopened to public passage on 12th October, 1972.^[6]

It is the second largest railway bridge in Bangladesh. Another bridge named Lalon Shah Bridge for road transport beside the Hardinge Bridge has recently been constructed.^{[citation needed]}

• Hardinge Bridge in Banglapedia