Closed for traffic since 2021, Kanpur's British-era 'Ganga bridge' partially collapses

Built by the British in 1874, Kanpur's historic Ganga Bridge collapsed on Tuesday. Luckily, no injuries were reported after the incident, at this iconic bridge. It had been closed for traffic back in 2021 when cracks were spotted on its pillars.

Early on Tuesday morning, approximately 30 meters of the 1380-meter bridge collapsed on its own, marking a sudden end for a bridge that had been standing tall for a century and a half.

For nearly 100 years, this iconic Ganga Bridge in Kanpur was the only connection between Lucknow and Kanpur, going via Unnao. Only when a bridge was built over the Ganga river in Jajmau was when some traffic load was taken off it.

Twelve meters wide, this 1.38 km long bridge bore the weight of up to 22,000 four-wheelers and benefitted lakhs of people in the city. Another interesting fact about this bridge is that it was built in the duration of seven years and seven months.

Prominent citizens and historians in Kanpur have already begun to appeal to the state government to restore this iconic historical place that served as the only gateway to Awadh for so long.