PM Modi to inaugurate India's longest road bridge in Assam tomorrow

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s longest bridge, Dhola-Sadiya, in Assam on Friday. The 9.3-km bridge over Lohit river will provide connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Besides, the bridge has strategic importance as it is near Anini, 100km away from China border, and can withstand the weight of a 60-tonne battle tank.

The engineering marvel has been built by the ministry for road transport and highways at a cost of Rs2,056 crore and reduces the distance from Rupai in Assam to Meka, Roing, in Arunachal Pradesh by 165km. Currently, it takes six hours to travel from Rupai to Meka, and the bridge will reduce the travel time to an hour. According to a road ministry’s estimate, the bridge will lead to petrol and diesel saving of Rs10 lakh per day in the region.

The bridge, which has been constructed by Nayayuga Engineering Co. Ltd, is 3.55km longer than the sea link over the Mahim Bay in Mumbai, the longest bridge in the country as of now.

The bridge is located 540km from Assam capital Guwahati (Sadiya-side). On the other end, it is 300km from Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar (Dhola-side). The design of the bridge is such that it can even accommodate and withstand the movement of military tanks weighing 60 tonnes.

A senior road ministry official, on condition of anonymity, said that at present to cross Brahmaputra river from this location, one needs to take a ferry and that too only during day time. “During floods it was impossible for people to travel, but with this bridge now government has ensured 24x7 connectivity between upper Assam and eastern Arunachal Pradesh,” he said, adding that the project will allow overall economic development of the region and will also facilitate a number of hydro-power projects coming up in Arunachal Pradesh.

The construction of the bridge began in 2011 and was slated to be completed by 2015 at a sanctioned project cost of Rs950 crore. However, it got delayed by two years.

Vital Statistics

Length of the project: 28.50km

Bridge including viaducts: 9.15km

Carriageway width: 3 lanes (10.5 metres)

Number of piers: 183

Project cost: Rs2,056 crore

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.