'Warnings ignored': Gaurav Gogoi writes to Gadkari after Gammon Bridge collapse cuts off Upper Assam

A 63-year-old bridge on one of Assam's most critical highways gave way in the early hours of March 27, 2026 — and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says the disaster was entirely avoidable.

The Gammon Bridge over the Dikhow River in Sivasagar district, which carries traffic on National Highway 37, collapsed while repair work was already underway.

Authorities had identified signs of structural weakness nearly a month before the incident, when the middle section of the bridge had visibly sagged, prompting restrictions on heavy vehicles. Those restrictions, it turned out, were not enough.

The collapse occurred at around 4:30 am, with soil erosion around the bridge's foundation cited as a contributing factor. A truck plunged into the river, though no casualties were reported. Local residents said the collapse came shortly after a 12-wheeled dumper truck had crossed the structure.

The consequences were immediate. Long queues of vehicles formed on both sides of the highway, and authorities diverted traffic through alternative routes, though movement across the region remained severely affected. NH-37 is the primary artery connecting Upper Assam's major districts to the rest of the state, and as Gogoi noted in his letter, "any prolonged disruption will have wider implications for the region."

Gogoi, who represents Jorhat in the Lok Sabha and serves as Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party, wrote to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on March 28. The letter called for "swift restoration of connectivity," a review of "existing maintenance and monitoring mechanisms," and "stronger safeguards to prevent such incidents in the future."

He also stressed that "structural fatigue and visible distress had reportedly been identified nearly a month ago, yet the preventive measures undertaken did not avert this collapse" — a sequence of events he described as raising "serious concerns about infrastructure safety" and "the timeliness of intervention by the concerned authorities."

In a social media post on March 29, Gogoi directed his criticism squarely at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, describing the state government's approach as "headline-driven governance — grand announcements, but neglect of basic infrastructure on the ground."

Built in 1963, the Gammon Bridge had served as a vital link for over six decades before its collapse reignited questions about the condition of ageing infrastructure across the north-east. In his letter, Gogoi argued that the incident "underscores the need for a more proactive and preventive approach to infrastructure management, particularly in regions where connectivity is vital for economic stability," and urged Gadkari's "personal intervention to ensure swift action."