The Bridge was expected to be completed by August 2023 when it started, but due to Covid 19 the date was further extended to Diwali 2024 and now it is further postponed to June 2025
In March this year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the elevated corridor of the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge. The bridge, built with noise-barrier technology, is located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra River. During the inauguration, the Chief Minister addressed the public, stating that the newly opened stretch will provide a 'Marine Drive-like' experience. Soon after the inauguration of the elevated corridor, citizens were curious about when the Bharalumukh – North Guwahati bridge will be completed connecting the elevated corridor.
A source in Dispur, talking to GPlus, said, “June 25, 2025 is set as the completion target date for the bridge,” adding that it may even be completed earlier, as 86% of the work has been completed, and now, because it is winter, the speed of the rest of the work will be faster. He explained that because of increased level of water of Brahmaputra during monsoon season, the work sometimes gets delayed, and the Covid-19 pandemic is also a reason for the delay in the completion of the project.
The construction of the bridge over Brahmaputra River, connecting its north bank to its south within the city premises, started in February 2020.
As per the project agreement, the project was expected to be completed by August 13 2023. The design of the superstructure was done by a Singapore-based company, Wiecon Co. Ltd., as per international standards and proof-checked by Alok Bhowmick, an authority on structural engineering. However, the completion date was further postponed, and Diwali 2024 was set as another target for completion, but it was not completed by then. Now, the Public Works Department (PWD) is confident that the work will be completed by June 2025, and if everything goes well, it may even be completed earlier.
The total length of the bridge will be 1,600 metre, measured from the south to the north bank, of which 1,240 meter will be designed as a multi-span extra-dosed bridge with an individual span length of 200 metre between consecutive pylons, the longest in the country. The bridge is to have five main spans on the river.
The complete project, with an estimated budget of ₹2,608 crore, is the largest project ever undertaken by PWD. The project is mostly financed by the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
The super-structure will start as a six-lane bridge at the northern bank and will diverge at a Y-arm at the southern bank into two three-lane ways, one connecting the main road at Santipur opposite Swagat Hospital, and the other ending at Azan Pir Park in Machkhowa (basically connecting the elevated corridor). The PWD has also proposed the construction of two rotaries at both these points. The six-lane road is to extend up to Gauripur, increasing the total length of the project to around 6.2 kilometer. The width of the bridge will be 33 metre. The contract for the construction of the complete project was awarded to SP Singla Construction Pvt Ltd of Haryana.
So, with many delays in the completion date, a new date has been set. Let’s see if the bridge can be inaugurated by June 25, 2025.
