Completed in 1931, it is a multispan truss bridge that was built to primarily to provide direct road and rail connectivity between the Calcutta Port and the major railhead at Howrah railway station on the West bank of the Hooghly River.

[2] The famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple is situated on the banks of the Hooghly River near the bridge.

[3] The erection and caissoning of the bridge was done by the noted Kutchi-Mestri railway contractor and industrialist Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja.

Girding, erection of abutments and arching were all done by Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja.

The bridge was constructed at a total cost of ₹1.14 crore (equivalent to ₹348 crore or US$40 million in 2023) The first train that ran across the bridge was named Jagmal Raja Howrah Express by the British, acknowledging the feat of Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja.

Thus a second road bridge, the Nivedita Setu was constructed parallel to it and around 165 feet (50 m) downstream.