Vehicles to ply from March 1 on new Guwahati–North Guwahati bridge; toll for buses, trucks

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 11 announced that vehicular movement on the newly constructed bridge connecting North and South Guwahati will begin from March 1, with temporary traffic arrangements in place until June.

Addressing the media, Sarma said that although the bridge originates at Gauripur, vehicles will initially access it through IIT Guwahati as construction of the trumpet interchange at Gauripur is still underway. 

“From March 1, vehicles will ply on the new bridge, but connectivity to the highway will be slightly diverted till June due to the ongoing construction of the trumpet at Gauripur,” he said.

The Chief Minister clarified that while the permanent starting point of the bridge is Gauripur, entry for now will be routed through IIT Guwahati until the interchange works are completed.

He further stated that buses and trucks using the bridge will have to pay toll tax. Explaining the rationale, Sarma said unrestricted movement of heavy vehicles could lead to congestion in areas such as Fancy Bazar and adjoining commercial zones. “If buses and trucks ply on the bridge without regulation, it will choke Fancy Bazar and other parts of the city. Other vehicles will not be taxed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the bridge will remain open exclusively as a pedestrian zone for the next 15 days, allowing the public to walk and experience the structure before full-scale vehicular operations commence.

Assam is all set to witness the inauguration of a modern, state-of-the-art bridge connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati, which has been eagerly awaited by the people of the state. The bridge, named after the ancient Kamrup king Kumar Bhaskar Varma, is scheduled to be officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14.

Stretching over 1.24 kilometres, the bridge has been built at a cost of around Rs 3,300 crore and is being hailed as one of the major infrastructure landmarks of Assam.