Why is it in the news?
The Union government approved a ₹117.54 crore project for renovation of the Bascule Bridge at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata.
The bridge is an important movable bridge that allows ship passage through the port channel.
Category: S&T
Important Points:
● A bascule bridge is a movable bridge that can be raised to allow ships or boats to pass through a waterway.
● It is also known as a lifting bridge or drawbridge.
● It uses a counterweight system to balance the movable span or leaf during lifting.
● The counterweight is usually heavier than the leaf, reducing the energy required to operate the bridge.
● The movable span can be single or double and in rare cases triple or quadruple.
● A pulley system helps raise and lower the bridge span.
● Cables or chains connected to the counterweight run through pulleys and attach to the bridge leaf.
● The mechanical system provides mechanical advantage to reduce lifting force.
● The word “bascule” is of French origin and means a balancing device similar to a seesaw.
● The longest double-leaf bascule bridge in the world is the Broadway Bridge in Portland, Oregon (USA).