PM Modi inaugurates Bogibeel bridge in Assam

Dibrugarh, Dec 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest rail-cum-road bridge, the Bogibeel bridge, in Assam today. It is Asia's second longest rail-cum-road bridge.

The Prime Minister arrived in Guwahati today. Assam CM Sarbhananda Sonowal was also present at the event. Talking to media, Sonowal credited PM Modi for completion of the project which got delayed several times in the last 16 years.

Modi along with Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also walked a few metres on the bridge. The strategically important bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra will remove communication bottlenecks to several districts in Arunachal Pradesh.

"Today is a historic day for North East. The Bogibeel Bridge will act as a lifeline for commuters. I congratulate North East on this historic day..The Government is working on many more projects that will be launched in the coming days," PM Modi said after inaugrating the bridge.

The 4.94-km Bogibeel Bridge is the country's longest rail-road bridge, connecting the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Dibrugarh district of Assam with Silapathar in Dhemaji district, bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

Bridge was completed in 16 years. The Bogibeel bridge is constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5,900 crore.

The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda in January 1997 but the work started only in April 2002, after Atal Bihari Vajpayee kick started the project. The Modi government had asked for expediting work on the bridge which had already missed several deadlines.

The inauguration ceremony of the bridge coincides with the 94th birth anniversary of Vajpayee, who died in August this year.

The bridge is 32 metres above the Brahmaputra and is a major boost to the defence logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge will also cut down the travel time between Tinsukia in Assam to Naharlagun town of Arunachal Pradesh by more than 10 hours.