Kalurghat Bridge an old bridge, once the only link between the southern region of chittagong division on the bank of the river karnafuli with the rest of the country. This 239m long bridge was installed as a simple rail bridge of steel structure between Janalihut and Gomdandi railway stations in 1930. The bridge was commissioned for operation of trains in Chittagong-Dohazari section in the year 1931. Thirty-one years after its inauguration, considering the suffering of the people it was modified with decking and carpeting and turned into a rail and road-bridge in 1962.


Kalurghat Bridge, Chittagong
British engineers constructed it with 13 different types of spans that include one 45.72m steel girder, twelve 30.48m under-slung ones, five pieces of 24.38m and a single 12.19m deck type span and twelve 4.88m joists. It has an approach of 171m length at Chittagong end and 150m at the Dohazari end.

With a road space of only 3.05m the bridge was opened to the traffic allowing vehicles having a maximum load of 10 tons within a restricted maximum speed of 16 km per hour to provide an interim service until the construction of a road bridge. Since then the bridge served as a vital road link for 27 years till the Karnafuli Bridge (Shah Amanat Bridge) was constructed over the river Karnafuli in 1989. Shah Amanot Bridge brought about a great change in the communication shortening both the distance and time needed for the journey. But within ten years of its opening the bridge was closed for heavy vehicles as its wooden deck cracked and became worn out at many places.

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