Coronation Bridge

The Coronation Bridge, also called the Sevoke Roadway Bridge, carries the road across the Teesta River at Sevoke, on the route from Siliguri into the hills. It was named to commemorate a British royal coronation and remains one of the best-known landmarks of the region.

The British wanted a road link for goods and military supplies, but the rugged valley and the monsoon floods of the Teesta made the crossing hard. The arched cantilever design is credited to three Bengali engineers: K.P. Roy, A.C. Dutt and S.K. Ghosh. Building began in 1937, after Governor of Bengal John Anderson laid the foundation stone, and lasted four years at an estimated cost of four lakh pounds; the bridge was meant to last a century and has come through floods and earthquakes.

Two tiger statues stand at the Jalpaiguri end, giving it the local name Bagh Pool, or Tiger Bridge, and two marble plaques record its history. It is a popular spot for sunrise and sunset walks, and an annual Coronation Bridge Festival brings music, food stalls, exhibitions and night illuminations.