Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Taking a significant stride towards making the Brahmaputra under-river tunnel a reality, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), New Delhi Headquarters, has now invited Request for Qualifications (RFQ) submissions for the project from eligible construction firms. The central government has proposed a 4-lane twin-tube road cum rail underwater tunnel under the River Brahmaputra connecting Gohpur on the north bank and Numaligarh on the south bank of the river.
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in the Preconstruction Phase is a screening document that a project owner, such as NHIDCL in this case, issues to find and shortlist capable construction firms or contractors. Contractors who pass this stage will submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). The NHIDCL will then invite only the qualified shortlisted firms to a Request for Proposal (RFP) or formal bidding process.
Earlier, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), through National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), decided to undertake construction of a 4-lane Twin Tube Road cum Rail Underwater Tunnel under River Brahmaputra, including 4-lane approaches and provision of railway infrastructure in one of the tubes, in Assam on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.
As per the RFQ, the completion period for the proposed project is 5 years, with a maintenance period of 15 years. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 11,982.36 crore.
After submission, the RFQ will be opened on October 1, 2026.
The Union Cabinet approved the tunnel project prior to the latest Assam Assembly elections.
The 4-lane connectivity project between Numaligarh on NH-715 & Gohpur on NH-15 is approx. 33.77 km. The project envisages a twin tube underwater road-cum-rail tunnel of length 15.79 km (approx.), with a Greenfield Alignment of length 33.77 km.
The tunnel will have a design speed of 100 kmph and a design life of 100 years. One tube will comprise the road tunnel, and one tube the road cum rail tunnel.
According to NHIDCL, the proposed tunnel in Assam will be the first of its kind in many ways - the world's 2nd underwater rail-cum-road tunnel, India's 1st underwater rail-cum-road tunnel and 4th rail-cum-road crossing across the Brahmaputra River.
The proposed tunnel will comprise twin tubes of 2-lane highways each, with one of the tubes having a rail-cum-road facility. The 4-lane road facility is to be operational in normal times, while the railway facility will be operated only during exigencies. There will be cross passages provided between the two tunnels every 500 m. The maximum depth of the tunnel beneath the River Bed will be 57 m or 187 feet, and the minimum depth 52 m or 170 feet.
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