the great northern trunk-road over the Yeléru river, was constructed by the late Mr. P. H. Brown, M.I.C.E., District Board Engineer,1[1] and was opened for traffic in 1887. It consists of sixteen spans of 32 feet with segmental brick arches on first-class coursed rubble piers and abutments. The bridge over the Tuni river at Tuni, on the same road and at the north-eastern extremity of the district, has ten spans of 30 feet. It was built over 30 years ago by the Public Works department. A fine bascule bridge crosses the Gódávari at Coringa. It is an iron construction 250 feet long with a 50-foot drawbridge in the middle, and is built on solid iron piles four to five inches in diameter and screwed down to from 30 to 45 feet below mean sea level. This also was designed and erected (in 1901) by Mr, Brown. The drawbridge consists of two bascules which when raised afford an opening of 50 feet for sailing ships. There has been no difficulty in passing through it the largest ships which can enter the river, which run up to 500 to 600 tons. As originally constructed, it took eight men to open and close the bascules, but recent improvements designed and carried out by the present District Board Engineer Mr. C. J. Lowry, enable each span to be easily opened and closed by one man. The flooring is of steel trough plates except over the drawbridge, which is floored with teak.
The only bridge across the Gódávari is that at Rajahmundry which carries the Madras Railway and is described below. Foot passengers are allowed to cross it. There is no separate footway, but it is floored and provided with a handrail, and there are refuges on every pier where people can wait for a train to pass.
The deficiency of bridges both over the Gódávari and over the many channels in the delta is supplied by ferries. The three steam ferry-boats which at present ply on the Gódávari are referred to below. Besides these there are 34 ferries under the control of the local boards, and eight more in the Bhadráchalam taluk. The local fund ferries are equipped with boats constructed by the local boards or by the Public Works department; the former contributing half the cost in the case of all natural waterways. Of these boats, fourteen are first-class, and the same number second-class, iron ballacuts.2[2] A ballacut is a platform with hand-rails laid on
- ↑ 1 To this officer, who was the first District Board Engineer and held that post from 1880 to 1901, the district owes the construction of most of its roads and of many minor bridges, as well as the planting of miles of fine avenues. He also erected the building now occupied by the branch of the Bank of Madras and St.Thomas' Church in Cocanada, as well as a number of other public buildings,
- ↑ 2 Telugu balla, a plank and kattu, to tie; hence 'a platform.'
