Even after 108 years, Hardinge Bridge is still young

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Hardinge Bridge, a witness of the British, Pakistani and Bangladesh regimes, stands tall on the chest of Pramatta Padma. 109 years ago on March 4, 1915, the bridge was opened across the Padma river flowing over Bangladesh. On the eve of the centenary in 2015, research by the Foreign Aided Project suggests that the chemical properties of steel structures will remain valid for another 25 years. As a result, the bridge is operational till 2040.
The length of the bridge is 1,798.32 meters or 5,894 feet (1.8 km). There are total 15 girders or spans. Each span is about 120 meters long. The bridge was named after the then Viceroy of British India, Lord Baron Hardinge. Hardinge Bridge is Asia’s largest railway bridge and bridge of economic prosperity. During the inauguration of the historic Hardinge Bridge, the chief engineer of the bridge project, Sir Robert William Gales, passionately said that if the bridge that was built is properly constructed, this bridge will be forever young. The proof of how true the saying is is that even though the bridge turned 108 years old on March 4, 2023, it has not left the mark of old age.
In the last phase of the war of independence in 1971, on December 13th, when the Allied forces dropped bombs from the aircraft in order to defeat the Pakistan Army, the span number 12 was damaged. As usual after independence the Government of India constructed the span and restored it to its original position.
Guard Council General Secretary Train Director (Guard) Afzal Hossain Jinnah has been traveling over Hardinge Bridge for 37 years with various trains including the India-bound ‘Maitri Express’. He said, even before the centenary in 2015, we are still going the same way. No rattles, noises, rattles or anything unusual.