India's longest river bridge nears reality as Dhubri-Phulbari mega project hits 80 per cent completion

The ambitious Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge, set to become India's longest river bridge and the world's longest extradosed cable-stayed bridge over water, has crossed a major construction milestone with nearly 80 per cent physical progress, bringing Northeast India closer to a transformative connectivity project.

Being constructed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the 19.5-km bridge across the Brahmaputra River is on schedule for completion by September 2028.

The bridge, a key component of National Highway 127B, will provide the first permanent four-lane road link between Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya, eliminating one of the Northeast's longest transport bottlenecks.

Designed as a state-of-the-art extradosed cable-stayed bridge, the structure combines the strength of a conventional box girder bridge with cable-stayed engineering. Its central span stretches nearly 12 kilometres, supported by 199 massive pillars anchored deep into the Brahmaputra riverbed.

According to project officials, construction is progressing round the clock despite monsoon challenges, with more than 250 engineers and project managers supervising a workforce of 1,800 to 2,000 labourers.

For decades, residents travelling between Dhubri and Phulbari have depended on ferry services vulnerable to weather disruptions or a 260-km road detour that often takes over five hours. Once operational, the bridge will reduce the travel distance to around 20 kilometres, bringing down travel time to just 15 to 20 minutes.

The project is expected to significantly improve connectivity across the Northeast by creating a seamless transport corridor linking Assam, Meghalaya, Bhutan and parts of West Bengal. Besides reducing travel time, it is expected to improve access to healthcare, education and markets, while strengthening trade, tourism and regional logistics.

Officials say the bridge will play a crucial role in accelerating economic activity in the sub-Himalayan region by facilitating faster movement of goods and people, making it one of the most significant infrastructure projects undertaken in Northeast India.