Assam: 78 per cent work of bridge over Brahmaputra connecting north-south banks completed in Guwahati

About 78 per cent of work in the bridge that is being constructed over the river Brahmaputra connecting the south and the north banks in the state's capital city Guwahati is completed, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday as he shared the project progress report.

The overall project cost is expected to be Rs 2,608.68 crore. So far, a total of Rs 2,104 crore has been received. In addition, a total of Rs 450 crore has been Budgeted for 2023-24, of Rs 175 crore was already released.

Guwahati already has a bridge over Brahmaputra, and this new bridge, being constructed a few kilometres away, will provide alternate access to people coming to the state's capital city.

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This under-construction bridge will drastically reduce the distance between Guwahati city with AIIMS and IIT, both situated on the north bank. CM Sarma also today unveiled details about the proposed Guwahati Ring Road Project. 

The project is aimed at decongesting the city, which has all the potential to become the gateway to Southeast Asia.

"The Assam Government will bear 50 per cent of the land costs in the 121 km landmark project to decongest the capital, which will cost Rs 5800 crore," CM Sarma said. The proposed ring road will be immensely beneficial for the decongestion of Guwahati city. 

It will bypass major traffic coming from West Bengal and Bihar side to Silchar, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura entering Guwahati city. This ring road will consist of a 3-km long 6-lane bridge over the river Brahmaputra between Kurua and Narengi.

Earlier this week, lending another push towards modernization of the road transport network in the state, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in the presence of Assam CM on November 2 either laid the foundation stones of or dedicated to the nation as many as 26 national highways projects aggregating an investment of Rs 17,500 crore in an event in Guwahati.

Chief Minister Sarma had made an appeal to the Union Road Transport Minister to take necessary measures to make the proposed ring road in Guwahati a reality to which Gadkari, in his speech, said the same has his in-principle approval.CM Sarma also requested the Union Road Transport Minister to construct a 32-km long elevated corridor at Kaziranga aimed at reducing the number of fatalities among wild animals. Union Minister Gadkari in his speech said the elevated corridor would become a reality soon and a detailed project report shall be prepared for the same.

Chief Minister Sarma expressed hope that necessary steps will be taken to expedite the construction of a tunnel under the river Brahmaputra connecting Gohpur on the North bank with Numaligarh on the South bank.

The Chief Minister had also appealed to the Union Road Transport Minister to allocate Rs. 500 crore from the central fund for works being undertaken under the Asom Mala scheme to which Gadkari announced that an amount of Rs. 600 crore has been approved, an increase of Rs. 100 crore over the demanded amount.