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The Government of India has announced plans to build India's longest river bridge across the Brahmaputra river in North Eastern India. The bridge will be 19.3 km long and will connect Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya, near the Bangladesh border. It is expected to be completed by 2026-27.



According to a media report, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is currently preparing a detailed project report. The initial loan for the project has already been approved by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The plan is to build a 4-lane bridge in an attempt to reduce the travel time between the two towns. At present, people cross the river using small boats, while vehicles have to take a detour of 100 km over the Naranarayan bridge.

The new bridge across the Brahmaputra river will be longer than the current longest bridge in India - the Dhola-Sadiya bridge, which measures 9.15 km in length. It is built across the same river and is located in the state of Assam. If the approach roads are considered, the bridge spans 28.50 km and reduces the distance between Rupai in Assam and Roing in Arunachal Pradesh by 165 km, while the travel time has been reduced from 6 hours to just 1 hour.

Source: Financial Express

Link to Team-BHP News

Can't figure out choice of location. Just ~ 60Km downstream of Jogigopa. And the river changes course here, this essentially being a floodplain, with no hillocks to constrain and channel the river.

Regards
Sutripta

Odd. Google Maps says there is a bridge between Dhubri and Phulbari already.

^^^
No bridge. No vehicle transporting ferry either.

Regards
Sutripta

The placement of the bridge looks very strategic from a defense perspective given the proximity to international border. Troops can move very very quickly.

Also, to someone who lives in the region reducing a 6 hr commute to <1 hour can make all the difference there is. Good for economic growth, availability of all sorts of facilities, medical, administration etc etc.

^^^
Bangladesh border. Should not figure high from military PoV.
Meghalaya part is not really a population centre.

Regards
Sutripta

The placement looks strategic, although the border may not be sensitive right now. Also, increases connectivity in the region. Thinking of a scenario, if the other bridge is taken out then what does it do to the connectivity in the region?

Also, the population might not be dense, but that does not mean there is no economic activity. Infrastructure is meant to increase/introduce/improve economic activity and may not have a prerequisite to have an existing, thriving economic activity in the region.

Disclaimer: This is my view only. Not meant to start an argument on defense strategy/economic policies.

The bridge is more important from socio economic point of view as it will reduce the travel time to the South Western part of Assam and also the Garo hills region which still remains a restive place. From Dubri if one can just straight away connect and travel to these parts, it will be a boon for the entire region.

The only reason I can think of for its location is that this is where the Brahmaputra in India is furthest from the Chinese border.

From where?


Intertribal rivalries and muscle flexing by the dominant tribes, rather than anti India.
Also a potential property grab in the offing, if I may say so. (The sudden hue and cry for ILP for Meghalaya is linked to that).

Regards
Sutripta

From the North west entry point into the state. At present one has to cross over from the Narnarayan Bridge and go eastwards from Dhubri and then follow the left bank back towards south and east.

The South Bank here consists of a floodplain of about 8~10 Km wide, and then the hills of Meghalaya. The rest of the hinterland is actually Bangladesh. I don't think we'll have an open border (free exchange of goods and people) with Bangladesh anytime soon. The Indian population (on this part of the South Bank) is too small for this financial outlay.
A bridge at Jorhat would make more sense, from the economic activity point of view.

Before partition, Dhubri was a pretty important river port. Now it is all but dead economically, but with an evergrowing population.

Regards
Sutripta

PS- Check out the alignment of the new rail line from Mal to CoochBehar, and (still being built) Dhubri to Bongaigaon.

Yes, a bridge at Jorhat would make more sense but the bridge at Tejpur is almost in striking distance, whereas, in the lower Assam there is just that one bridge. Its not only Assam but the restive Tura region would also become more accessible and open, I think. Though I agree we wont be having much of Border needs along that axis with Bangladesh.

Tezpur - Jorhat ~150 Km (river run).
And you were complaining about the ~60 Km Jogigopa - Dhubri (river run). :)

Tura is easly accessible from Krishnai. What one needs is a GOOD road joining Shillong - Williamnagar - Tura. (I don't know the current status now, but that 'road' used to be essentially nonexistent).

Total population of West Garo hills will be significantly less than 1 million.

Regards
Sutripta

Yes, agreed but that Williamnagar road is still non existent and also prone to sporadic violence. Only logic that I can think of this bridge is to remove the isolation of that south west corner, nothing else. Or maybe give a route to this corner rom Cooch Behar by sort of bypassing the Bodo dominated areas.

^^^
There used to be a car ferry service between Jogigopa and Goalpara. Two vessels. When the bridge was completed, these vessels were scrapped. Guess operating these at Dhubri would not have made economic sense.

So I still think

Regards
Sutripta