Larsen and Toubro to Start Construction of Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Jan 15: Larsen and Toubro (L&T) is going to start the construction of the Rs 3165.99-crore JICA-funded four-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra between Dhubri and Phulbari. The NHIDCL-Northeast (National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation) has issued the work order to this regard recently through tendering.

While JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is a Japanese government agency, NHIDCL is a fully-owned company of MRT&H (Ministry of Road Transport & Highways).

The foundation stone of the project will be laid either in January-end or in early February, 2021. The original sanctioned cost of the bridge was Rs 4997.04 crore which has been awarded to L&T at Rs 3165.99 crore, after tendering. The target completion of the bridge is September, 2028.

Talking to The Sentinel, NHIDCL (Regional Office, Guwahati) Executive Director Pankaj Singh said, "L&T has already started mobilization of men and machinery. Their engineers have already had their camps erected at the site. Of the 19.282-km-long project, the main bridge portion will be around 12.6 km."

According to sources, the work of the bridge will begin after the mobilization of men and machinery by L&T.

The bridge includes approaches over the Brahmaputra between Dhubri on the North Bank and Phulbari on the South Bank in Assam/MeghaLaya on NH-127B. This bridge will reduce the detouring road distance between Dhubri and Phulbari by about 250 km, besides boosting the international trade between Bhutan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

The alignment will bridge the existing missing link of NH-127B. This will culminate in establishing connectivity between two very important centres in Assam and Meghalaya, which hitherto is fully dependent on uncertain ferry services.

The alignment will further augment the transport network in the region by providing the shortest link between the western regions of Meghalaya and the rest of the country, including the ports in Kolkata.

This will be of great importance and advantageous from the geo-strategic point of view for mobilization of strategic forces along the international borders as well. This bridge will provide the shortest connectivity for the people of Meghalaya, Tripura and Barak valley as well. The bridge will be near the international border with Bangladesh. It will also provide connectivity to urban market and supply chains, thereby enhancing the reach and export of perishable farm goods.

At present, the 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge (Bhupen Hazarika Setu) over the Lohit River in Assam is the longest one over any rive in the country. But when completed, the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge, measuring 12.6 km approximately, will break the record length.

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