Phulbari/Dhubri, April 25: Travelling in boats through the Brahmaputra or by the long road route will soon be a thing of the past for the people of Phulbari and Dhubri border towns.
The 19.28-km bridge connecting Phulbari in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, and Dhubri in Assam is going to be a game changer as it will reduce travel time. The bridge, now under construction, is expected to be complete in another two years.
Larsen & Toubro is executing the project.
During a trip to the area, officials took the Meghalaya Monitor correspondent from Phulbari to parts of Dhubri to explain the benefits the bridge can provide people.
The flood-prone area will have a new lease of life thanks to the project.
The longest river bridge in the country will cut the travel time to 20 minutes. The 220-km road journey now takes seven hours. This will also facilitate fast movement to North Bengal — within 6.5 hours.
The bridge has only one match in the country — the Atal Setu in Mumbai which is the longest bridge over the sea.
Ambitious project:
The bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra is supported by at least 100 pillars on the Meghalaya side. The ambitious project will have six lanes. Only four lanes will be opened to the public. The remaining two lanes will be reserved for emergency services and defence personnel.
The Centre proposed this inter-state project in 2011, and the then Union Minister for road transport, CP Joshi, had assured support to former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma when he visited New Delhi.
Subsequent central and state governments pursued the matter, considering the importance of the project. In December 2020, Larsen & Toubro got the work order and construction work started a year later.
Round-the-clock work despite adverse weather conditions, including floods, helped the builder achieve 59% work. The target of completion is September 2028.
As there was no approach road, the area was isolated, and many portions of the land were developed by Larsen & Toubro.
The total cost of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded project is Rs 3,166 crore.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and the officials of the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) are monitoring the project.
No interference
There has been no interference from any quarters as far as the bridge project is concerned. This is unlike the disturbances seen while executing other major projects elsewhere in the state.
The workforce is over 3,500, including people from many parts of the country. Some works are also entrusted to the locals.
Game-changer
Phulbari MLA and cabinet minister AT Mondal expects the bridge to be a game changer.
“This will be the only exit to connect to the country through the western side, as most of the exits are from the northern side,” he said, adding that this will be the easiest and the shortest route to the mainland.
“In terms of business, education, healthcare and local economy, it will greatly help,” he added.
With the bridge project, Mondal feels that there is a need to improve Phulbari-Agia road and the four-laning of Agia–Medhipara–Phulbari–Tura (AMPT) project is a must.
“AMPT is a 75-km project to reach Agia in Assam, out of which 50 km is in Meghalaya and 25 km is in Assam. We feel that once the bridge is complete, it will provide the shortest route. This will also help connect Guwahati with the mainland. Many vehicles will come through this road for petrol and diesel as the rate is cheaper in Meghalaya than in other states. The bridge will attract many tourists. As huge traffic will be generated towards Guwahati, the AMPT road should be made four-lane. The Agiya-Guwahati road is already four lane,” Mondal said.
He has taken up the issue of widening the road with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister in-charge PWD Prestone Tynsong, so that they can pursue this in New Delhi.
“Once the bridge is ready, it will be easy to reach the railway head in Dhubri and Rupsi airport. Besides, Cooch Behar and Siliguri will be nearer. Due to the proximity to the neighbouring states, people can avail of healthcare, education facilities, and it will also attract visitors,” Mondal added.
