L&T has emerged as the lowest bidder for building India’s longest river connecting Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya. The 19.3 kilometre long bridge will be built over the Brahmaputa and will slash road travel distance by 203 kilometre.
L&T emerged the L1 bidder by quoting a cost of Rs 3,166 crore, which is over Rs 1,000 crore lower than the L2 bidder SP Singhla Constructions.
Expected to be completed by 2026-27 the four lane bridge will be built along the National Highway 127-B.
The proposed bridge, considered strategic, will connect the state of Assam and Meghalaya with the rest of the nation, reducing the detouring road distance by about 203 km from Dhubri to Phulbari, which lie on the either side of the Brahmaputra before it flows into Bangladesh.
Currently, those who travel across these states either take the Naranarayan bridge, which is a huge inconvenience as it is 60 km upstream, or, alternatively, row across the river in small boats, which can take about two-and-a- half hours. This journey is considered especially risky in the rainy season when the river flows above the danger mark.
The bridge was proposed 5 years ago by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
The total capital cost of the project is expected to stand at Rs 4,997.04 crore which includes a land-acquisition and resettlement cost of Rs 55.68 crore.
On the Dhubri side (North Bank), the approach – which includes an embankment and viaduct – will be around 4.3 km, while that on the Phulbari side (South Bank) will be around 2.3 km.
The navigation portion of the bridge – above the water – will be 12.6 km long. Around 103.78 hectares of land will have to be acquired for construction of the bridge.
Assam’s easternmost bridge, the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge, across the River Lohit, one of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra, is currently India’s longest bridge at 9.15 km. The bridge was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May last year.