For years, it was the Howrah Bridge (or Rabindra Setu) on the river Hooghly that carried the sea of people that travel between Kolkata and its twin city Howrah. But considering traffic pressures, the idea for a second bridge over the Hooghly came into being. The Second Hooghly Bridge or the Vidyasagar Setu, as it is named after the Bengali philosopher and reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, is a 457 meter long cable stayed bridge and the second largest in India after the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. Bicycles can roam free, but this is a toll bridge for all other vehicles. Built between 1978 and 1993, Vidyasagar Setu has since become an indispensable asset to the city. And of course, the bridge itself does make the Kolkata skyline a little more interesting!
