Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) The construction of a second rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra at Saraighat in Guwahati is expected to commence soon, an official said on Saturday.
The tender is likely to be finalised shortly, and construction work will start immediately after it, he said.
This second bridge at Saraighat was sanctioned as part of the doubling of the Agthori–Kamakhya railway line under Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
It was sanctioned in 2023–24 with an estimate of Rs 1,473.77 crore, and is targeted for completion by December 2029.
Detailed estimates were sanctioned by the Railway Board in February 2024, and the design drawing and report were finalised and duly approved by the competent authority in March.
“The geotechnical investigations have been completed for the design of the substructure and superstructure, and an EPC tender has been floated for the construction of the bridge, including approach roads, rail viaducts, earthwork and ancillary works. The tender is expected to be finalised soon, and construction works will be started immediately after the same,” an NFR spokesperson said.
The project includes the construction of a 7.062 km-long stretch from Agthori to Kamakhya, featuring a 1.3 km-long steel composite girder bridge over the Brahmaputra River.
The bridge will be designed with a double-line railway track on the lower deck and a three-lane roadway with footpaths on the upper deck.
“Once completed, the new bridge will significantly enhance line capacity in the section, which is poised for industrial growth. Besides improving connectivity, the project is expected to create substantial employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers in the surrounding areas,” the spokesperson said.
The first rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra river, known as the old Saraighat bridge, was the first railway link to the north eastern region.
The bridge was formally inaugurated by then PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963, though goods train services over the bridge had commenced a year earlier. PTI SSG SSG SOM
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