Prakasham barrage connects Krishna and Guntur districts and stretches 1.22km across river Krishna. The idea of constructing the dam across river Krishna by captain Buckle dates back to 1798. However, it was revised by captain Best and captain Lake in 1839 and 1841 respectively. Finally, it was approved by the board of Directors of East India Company in 1850 and the work started in 1852 and completed in 1855. It was one of the first major irrigation projects of South India. The barrage also serves as a road bridge and spans over a lake. The three canals associated with the barrage run through the city of Vijayawada crossing it and giving it a Venetian appearance.