RISHIKESH
The historic 1930 suspension bridge is closed to public crossing on structural-safety grounds, with no reopening date. Bajrang Setu, built alongside it, has glass pedestrian walkways and a central two-wheeler deck, but its access rules, timings and fees have kept changing - verify locally. You can still photograph the old bridge.
The original hanging rope bridge here, built during colonial times, was washed away by the great flood of October 1924. The current iron suspension bridge, funded in part by Rai Bahadur Shewpershad Tulshan and built by the U.P. Public Works Department, opened to traffic on 11 April 1930 with a stipulation that no toll would ever be charged to cross it. It connects Tapovan in Tehri Garhwal to Jonk in Pauri Garhwal, and legend holds that Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama, crossed the Ganges here on a jute rope bridge at this spot. The bridge was closed to vehicular and then all traffic starting in 2019-2020 after engineers deemed it structurally unsafe.
