River and bridges are part of Karnataka’s natural beauty. Here is a list of top famous bridges in Karnataka.
As we all know Karnataka is crisscrossed by 7 river systems– the Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, North and south Pennar, Palar and the west flowing rivers. These rivers don’t just supply drinking and irrigation water to different parts of the state, they also add to the state’s natural beauty and heritage.
In many spots, this beauty is amplified by manmade bridges across the rivers. Getting an accurate count of the number of bridges in the state would be difficult. Some are purely functional while others have become tourist spots in their own right.
A List Of Famous Bridges In Karnataka
Below listed are the 6 most famous bridges in Karnataka.
- Sharavathi Suspension Bridge
Constructed over the Sharavathi backwaters in Honnavar, this suspension bridge connects the Upponi village to the mainland. The 6,760 foot long bridge supports pedestrian and two-wheeler traffic. A walk across offers beautiful views of the backwaters.
2. Kabni River Bridge
The Kabni river bridge is one of the oldest railway bridges in India. It dates back to 1735. The bridge was built by Dalvoy Devraj in the Gothic style of architecture with a series of arches spanning 10-feet and intervening piers. In all, it has 51 arches.
The train tracks were added much later. Today, trains no longer operate on the bridge and the bridge has been declared a heritage monument.
3. Wellesley Bridge
The Wellesley Bridge has been captured in a number of Kannada movies as well as popular Bollywood cinema. The bridge crosses over the Kaveri river in Srirangapatna and is believed to be over 200 years old.
The bridge was built by Dewan Purnaiya in 1804 and named after the Governor-General, Richard Marquess Wellesley. It is considered to be the oldest road bridge in the Srirangapatna area.
Constructed as a series of solid stone pillars, the bridge is not only an example of native architecture at the time, it is also an engineering marvel.
4. Thimmankudru Bridge
The Thimmankudru bridge over the Suvarna river is one of the reasons tourists flock to the village of Tonse in the Udipi district. It’s a 280-foot long narrow bridge that caters mainly to pedestrian traffic.
What’s interesting to note is that the bridge was built in a mere 12 days in 1991 by NCC cadets as part of their training. The wooden planks used for the original bridge have since been replaced with cement slabs.
5. Tunga Bridge
The Tunga Bridge is a unique bridge in Karnataka. It was built over 100 years ago by Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya over the Thirthahalli River and connects Thirthahalli with Kuruvalli.
The bridge is comparable to the harbor bridge in Sydney with slight differences. The arc-like structure of the bridge is supported by pillars on either side and connected at the top.
6. Korthi-Kolhar Bridge
Spanning 3000 meters, the Korthi-Kolhar Bridge is not only the longest road bridge in Karnataka, but it is also amongst the 20 longest bridges in India. The bridge crosses the Krishna River 25 Km upstream of the Almatti Dam. Compared to the above, the Korthi-Kolhar Bridge is relatively new as it was constructed in 2006.