Andhra Pradesh Government to carry out fresh study on structural stability of 125-year-old abandoned Havelock bridge across river Godavari

The Andhra Pradesh Government is set to commission a technical investigation to assess the structural stability of the 125-year-old Havelock bridge across river Godavari that connects Rajamahendravaram City with Kovvur town in the Godavari region.

Recently, the Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned ₹94.44 crore for the Akhanda Godavari project proposed by the State Government for various tourism infrastructure facilities, primarily to convert the abandoned bridge into a tourist spot ahead of the Godavari Pushkarams-2027.

On Monday (June 23, 2025), Andhra Pradesh State Minister for Tourism and Culture Kandula Durgesh has announced; “A few years ago, a study by the experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Madras) has claimed that the structural stability of the Havelock bridge was good. However, we have decided to commission another expert committee for a fresh assessment of the structural stability of the Havelock bridge.”

Mr. Durgesh has further added that the Havelock bridge beautification plan includes allowing craft bazaar and other tourist attractions on the bridge and beautifying its 25 spans into various themes on culture, crafts and folk literature of Andhra Pradesh. Under the bridge, a tent city has been proposed to be built on a 120-acre island of river Godavari. 

Heritiage Site  

The construction of the 2.74 km-long Havelock bridge began on November 11, 1897 and was commissioned for Indian Railways on August 30, 1900. However, the South-Central Railways has abandoned the bridge in 1997. The bridge was named after H.E. Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock, Governor of Madras.

The Railway Board approved to hand over the Havelock bridge to Andhra Pradesh State government on ‘as is where is’ basis.

“The South-Central Railways has already handed over the Havelock bridge to the State Government for tourism purposes. The land has also been given to the railways in Rajamahendravaram City in return for the land at the entry point of the bridge,” East Godavari Collector P. Prasanthi told The Hindu. 

Bhumi Puja

Speaking to mediapersons at a press conference in Rajamahendravaram on Monday (June 23, 2025), Mr. Durgesh has said that Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan would perform Bhumi Puja for the Akhanda Godavari project in Rajamahendravaram city on June 26, 2025.

The beautification of the Havelock bridge, Kadiyam Nurseries Experience Centre, Boating in the irrigation canals, Godavari Harathi at Nidadavolu are the prime facilities proposed under the Akhanda Godavari project.