Larsen & Toubro emerges lowest bidder for India's longest river bridge in Northeast

Larsen & Toubro has emerged as the lowest bidder at Rs 3,166 crore to construct a 20-km, four-lane road bridge across the River Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Phulbari on NH 127-B for the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

The bridge will connect two eastern states -- Assam and Meghalaya. It will be the longest road bridge (18.36 km) over a river in the country.

The project is being financed by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). The bridge will feature Extradosed Spans of 125 M for 12.63 km, a 60 M Approach Viaduct of 5.74 km and an approach road of almost a km.

It is 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.

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is the executing agency.

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.

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