[soulturbo]

Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 26th May 2017 Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Bridge) is the longest bridge in India. Spanning 9.15 kilometres (5.69 miles) in length over the river Lohit (a major tributary of the mighty river Brahmaputra), the bridge situated in the eastern nook of Assam connects the towns of Dhola (in the south) and Sadiya (in the north) of Tinsukia District in Assam. A few facts on the bridge first:

• -Length : 9.15 kilometres (5.69 miles)
• -Commencement of Construction: November 2011
• -Agency: Navayuga Engineering Company for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
• -Project Cost: Rs. 10 billion (US$155 million)
• -Inauguration: 26th May 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The bridge is named after Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (1926- 2011), the legendary lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam, who was born at Sadiya, situated on the northern end of the bridge.

The inauguration of the bridge fulfilled a long cherished dream of the people of Sadiya in Assam and Eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh for a motorable connectivity to rest of the country. It also created a unique race amongst the local populace to visit the bridge at the earliest. It almost became a pilgrimage for the people residing in this part of the country. Such was the mad rush of the selfies in the bridge, the bridge got popularly rechristened as the “selfie bridge”! Not to be left behind, we decided for a short trip to the longest bridge in India on 4th June, 2017. We decided upon to drive till Chapakhowa(Sadiya) after crossing the bridge and come back (From Duliajan, Assam – 98.5 KM as per Google Maps). So tanked up our Alabaster Silver and Sunset Oranges (Honda Jazz) got revving on a cloudy Sunday morning. Sharing a few snapshots of the trip… (please excuse me for the quality of the snaps, as most them were clicked with cell phones only).

The customary google consultation


Raring to go


Famous Tilinga (Bell) Mandir on the way


Picturesque tea gardens to the way


The garbage dump which welcomes travelers from Duliajan Town to Tinsukia Town


Tinsukia Town by pass near St. Lukes Hospital


A few clicks and a traffic jam at NH -37




Lunch break at the Dhaba NH - 37 (Decent food , Decent ambience)


Approaching the longest bridge in India ...



Zoomed in !


Thank you


Beauty


Trying a hand on landscape photography





Hordes of people clicking selfies on the "selfie bridge" LOL!


Crossing the longest bridge in India ...


Road to Chapakhowa (Sadiya)


Beauties on the way back



Random clicks on the way back home... (concluding the satisfying day with a magnificent bout of bull fight at Dhola Town)

[shaggydogg]

Thank you for that great travelogue! Hope this bridge helps you further explore some of the most beautiful parts of our country!

While I'm glad this bridge was constructed and appreciate how much its going to help connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh, I was quite disappointed to see that there are only two lanes.

Why couldn't the government have planned for the future and constructed a four-lane bridge? There is no doubt that at some point in the future (and that point may not be far, considering the economic benefits such infrastructure brings) this bridge will be choked to capacity with mile-long queues and it will take multiple years before a second bridge will come up - look at MG Setu in Patna!

[arjab]

Lovely pictures and writeup! Thanks a lot for the visual treat. North East is very close to my heart, possibly because i spent quite a bit of time in my early working years gallivanting across that part of the country :-) Have to plan my next trip - you have tempted me enough !

[soulturbo]

Originally Posted by shaggydogg

Thank you for that great travelogue! Hope this bridge helps you further explore some of the most beautiful parts of our country!

While I'm glad this bridge was constructed and appreciate how much its going to help connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh, I was quite disappointed to see that there are only two lanes.

Why couldn't the government have planned for the future and constructed a four-lane bridge? There is no doubt that at some point in the future (and that point may not be far, considering the economic benefits such infrastructure brings) this bridge will be choked to capacity with mile-long queues and it will take multiple years before a second bridge will come up - look at MG Setu in Patna!

Agreed ... A four lane bridge would have been more futuristic logistically speaking. But people of this part of the world (Sadiya in Assam and Lower and Upper Dibang valley and Lohit Districts of Arunachal Pradesh) are rejoicing. Well why not ? After being cut off from rest of India since independence, the bridge was a long cherished dream. Fruits of the bridge are already seen , with long distance bus services being started to as far as Siliguri. Moreover the bridge is envisaged to usher in new aroma to the Roing-Mayudia-Anini tourism circuit of Arunachal Pradesh.

Originally Posted by arjab

Lovely pictures and writeup! Thanks a lot for the visual treat. North East is very close to my heart, possibly because i spent quite a bit of time in my early working years gallivanting across that part of the country :-) Have to plan my next trip - you have tempted me enough !

Thanks for appreciating my maiden effort. Please do visit Roing-Mayudia-Anini circuit of Arunachal Pradesh during January- February to witness snow fall and pristine natural beauty.

[NickKohl123]

@Soulturbo - you have provided nice glimpse of the longest bridge.Certainly delight to see these photos

Sorry for being OUT OF THE TOPIC
Just a small suggestion (Please dont get me wrong) - I see from picture bridge is 2 lane road. As usual we (all indians) are parking on side shoulder of bridge on both the sides to get glimpse of this engineering marvel but we are unknowingly causing an obstruction to traffick (sheer traffick indiscipline)

Forget about others, but humble request to all of us being a BHPian its our responsibility to avoid traffick indiscipline. Stopping vehicles on bridges is certianly not advisable for many reasons; Two Important out of them:
1. For your safety and safety of others
2. To prevent congestion

In many developed countries like USA, South Africa etc. it attracts heavy penalty for stopping vehicles in tunnels and bridges. Lets make India a better place to drive.

[selfdrive]

Thanks for the nice pictures. The couple of sunset pics are really soothing.

Originally Posted by shaggydogg

Why couldn't the government have planned for the future and constructed a four-lane bridge? There is no doubt that at some point in the future (and that point may not be far, considering the economic benefits such infrastructure brings) this bridge will be choked to capacity with mile-long queues and it will take multiple years before a second bridge will come up - look at MG Setu in Patna!

Yes, but normally how it works is that we will then build another bridge parallel to this one and make both unidirectional.
On the other hand, the real need of the hour is to have 2 dedicated approach lanes with good road surface all the way to/ from the bridge. No point building a 4 lane bridge with only 2 lane approach roads.

[soulturbo]

@NickKohl123 Hey thanks for your comments. I was bit surprised that why the matter did not crop up earlier! Yes there was total traffic indiscipline on the bridge. BUT can you imagine the spirits of people , especially the people residing on the Northern part of the bridge. They got their only motorable connectivity to rest of India only after completion of the bridge. It was a complete carnival atmosphere (mela!) on the approach roads as well as on the bridge. Vendors were seen selling selfie sticks. Well that does not justify traffic indiscipline. However the point I am trying to convey is, that people went overboard with celebrations and created the traffic indiscipline unknowingly. I was also wondering how people were parking their vehicles on the bridge, as the same is strictly prohibited in developing countries like ours too. Hope sense has prevailed now! I strongly endorse your views and definitely as BHPians would continue to contribute towards safe disciplined driving. Moreover I would like invite you to visit this part of our country ...

[SnakemanJohny]

Thanks for the wonderful photos. Some more snaps of the two approaches would be appreciated. Are there checkposts ?
Itching to go there, don't know when I will make it. Crossing the Farakka Barrage and the Kaliya Bhomra bridge for the first time was thrilling, no doubt this will be more.
Those complaining of the two lanes only must understand that traffic in that part of the world is very sparse -- smaller bridges need one lane only. A four-lane bridge would have been very unnecessary, and very very costly. At least this bridge has extra space on the sides for breakdown parking, a standard these days, making it almost four-lane. The two I mentioned earlier have only two lanes without any borders, as was the custom last century. The crowd parking on the sides to watch the view will be there initially, because of the excitement of the new and longest bridge. Usually parking is forbidden for safety and security concerns.

[Secretariat]

Great to see the bridge and the very nice photographs.

The importance of the bridge to the people who live in that area will be immense. It will usher a virtual revolution in transport and economic activity in the region. Long, long overdue and we should rejoice that even though horribly late, it has at last been done. Now, if only that tragedy called Bogibeel can somehow be completed ......

How's the road up to Roing and then onwards to Anini ? I passed on the chance to go there on my drive two years ago out of sheer horror at looking at the roads from Aalo to Passighat and to Roing. Hopefully with this bridge and the avoidance of the ferry crossing over the Lohit, maybe Anini is easier to go to now.

I read in another travelogue though that a traveller was advised against taking this bridge in the monsoon as apparently the bridge is great but the approach roads were a mess. Is that true ? Doesn't seem so from your photos.

Once again - great photos and thanks for sharing about the bridge. Travelogues from the North East are not many in this forum - hopefully you'll singlehandedly redress the balance !

[soulturbo]

@ SnakemanJohny Hey thank you for your words. As of now there no check posts on either side of the bridge. But as I could gather from the my colleagues who visited the bridge till yesterday (09/07/2017), people are still thronging in hordes to get a glimpse of the bridge. Festivities still going on !

@ Secretariat Hey thanks a lot for your wonderful words. The approach road from Tinsukia end is smooth and well maintained. However, once you cross the bridge and drive a couple of Kilometers towards Sadiya (Chapakhowa) Town, the road at best can be called as 'work in progress'. But the road from Bishnupur Gate (Assam - Arunachal Pradesh border check post) towards Roing town is fine. I visited Myodia pass last year and road was ok (narrow though).

[wanderernomad]

Excellent pictures and yes the bridge was long awaited. I only wish they could have made it sooner and I would have had a chance to drive over but it but alas. Now I would have to come back and drive it. Dhaba NH 37 brings back a lot of memories.

[visky]

The bridge was really very important as it would reduce the driving time a lot between the two states of Arunachal & Assam. The pictures are just awesome.
I have never visited Assam & Arunachal & this gives a good reason to visit this place to drive on the longest bridge of the country.
Cheers
visky.

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by soulturbo

Wow! Had no idea that this bridge is constructed by Navayuga Engineering of Hyderabad! I don't think many hold them in very high esteem for their engineering capabilities. Obviously they are more capable than what many believe them to be.

[skchettry]

@soulturbo, thanks for taking us over Dr Bhupen Hazarika Setu. Well described and a great attempt from the NE;I find myself more connecting with your post because I am also from your neighbouring town Dibrugarh although I live in Mumbai now.

[Sutripta]

So what happens to Saikowaghat now?

Lots of people believe that this bridge crosses Brahmaputra. Reinforced by quite a few official ads. I have a feeling that given time, because of this bridge, the Lohit will loose its identity. Probably be called something like Brahmaputra 2!

Regards
Sutripta