Historically Iconic Projects of Braithwaite that defined India's engineering heritage

The origin of Braithwaite dates back to a century ago when world war -I broke out, and the Britishers sped up their operations to strengthen the position of the crown. When it dawned upon the colonial masters that they could heighten their power with infrastructural development, plenty of companies were established to intensify the crown's interests. It is with the same intent that in 1913, Braithwaite & Co. Engineers Limited (U.K) established their Indian subsidiary in Calcutta (Kolkata, at present) to utilize girder sections to construct bridges. At the time of the inauguration of this British subsidiary in India, little did history realize that Braithwaite would play a significant role in laying the foundation of Indian railways. However, it was not the railways that helped the company break into the Indian market. Here is a brief account of how Braithwaite & Co. Ltd. made significant contributions to the development of iconic engineering projects in the past and defines India's engineering heritage.

A century-old bridge across the river Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, Ellis Bridge was built by Braithwaite, previously known as Braithwaite & kirk, for pedestrian and animal crossing. After winning the tender, the company exported the bridge structure from West Bromwich in early 1891. The most remarkable factor that highlights the engineering excellence in the construction of Ahmedabad's oldest bridge is its lower erection time. The brilliant application of techniques, such as steam piling and compressed air tools, assisted the company in delivering one of its substantial projects on time. It is a bowstring arch truss bridge, which is 1,570 ft. long and 21 ft. wide. A silent testimonial of architectural artistry, Ellis Bridge, now rechristened Swami Vivekananda Bridge, continues to unify the western and eastern parts of Ahmedabad while standing tall across the Sabarmati River.

Vivekananda Setu, previously known as Bally Bridge, is one of the initial projects the company worked on after renaming itself Braithwaite & company in 1921. After establishing its base in Calcutta, the company acquired the contract for implementing fabrication work for a bridge renowned for its swift construction. The construction of the mighty bridge that crosses the Hooghly River started in 1926 and concluded in 1931. Made of steel and stone, Bally bridge, also known as Willingdon Bridge, links the city of Howrah to Kolkata. A peek into history is sufficient to divulge that it was one of the most difficult bridges to construct at that time. A rail cum road bridge that spans across a length of 2,887 feet, the fabrication/ structural steelwork was done by Braithwaite & company. At the time of its construction, the bridge was well-known for its massive construction costs and criticality.

Famous for being the longest cable-stayed bridge in India, Vidyasagar Setu is a toll bridge that crosses the Hooghly River in Kolkata. Also known as the second Hooghly Bridge, its total length is 2,700 ft. and is 115 ft. wide. A feature that makes this bridge different from others is the dead load design concept. The construction of this bridge was initiated in 1979 by the consortium of Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction Company, a company born in 1935. About 13,200 tonnes of structural steel and a specifically designed crane of 45-tonne capacity was utilized to aid its construction. The second Hooghly Bridge consists of 3 lanes in each direction and boasts the capability to host 85,000 vehicles per day.

Named after a 16th-century Koch king, it is a double-deck rail-cum-road-bridge that houses a railway track on the lower part of the deck and a road on the upper one. This truss bridge has a length of about 2.5 kilometres and crosses the Brahmaputra River to connect the Bongaigaon district in the north with the Goalpara district in the south. A significant contributor in bridging the gap between Assam and Meghalaya, Naranarayan Setu owes the credit of its construction to The Braithwaite Burn & Jessop Construction Company Limited. For the construction of this engineering marvel, 35,500 MT of steel was consumed for its superstructure. Its construction commenced in 1987 and was inaugurated in 1998 by Shri Atal Bihari Bajpayee.

An iconic landmark and an engineering marvel, the Howrah Bridge is one of the influential feats of the company in British Raj time in bridge building history. It testifies to the rampant prowess of the Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop company. Devoid of nuts or bolts, the suspension-type cantilever bridge links the cities of Howrah and Kolkata. The legendary bridge has a length of 2,313 ft. and a height of 269.0 ft., and the construction wonder consumed 26,500 tons of steel. The construction of this marvelous wonder witnessed its dawn in the year 1936 and opened for public use in 1943. Recognized as Rabindra Setu in the present times, it is one of the busiest cantilever bridges in the world.

An influential name in Indian history, Braithwaite & Co. Ltd. has made a substantial contribution to laying the foundation of modern India. Their work in the direction of integrating diverse parts of India through bridge building bears the fruit of the labor to this day. No matter the initial mission, the engineering magnate has proven itself as one of the chief contributors to the glorious engineering heritage of India. In its long and illustrious journey, it has witnessed itself transform from being just an auxiliary branch of a U.K borne company to a Public Sector Undertaking in India. In addition to delivering some of the prominent historically iconic engineering paragons, Braithwaite & co. Ltd. has ventured into new verticals to make India reach new heights.