Dhubri-Phulbari bridgeon NH-127B over the same river is going on in full steam. The total length of the four-lane Dhubri-Phulbari bridge project has been pegged at 19.282 km, and it is being constructed with JICA ODA loan assistance (Phase-III).
With a total project cost of Rs 4,997.04 crore and awarded cost of Rs 3,166 crore, the four-lane bridge project is reported to have already achieved a physical progress of over 80%.
As all physical milestones have been achieved by the firms engaged in the construction, the mega project monitored directly by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is likely to meet its scheduled date of completion, which is December 9, 2028.
In contrast, the construction of the new 2-lane extra-dosed cable stayed bridge over the Brahmaputra at Jogighopa has already been delayed by more than two years.
Originally scheduled to be completed by November 10, 2024, the date has been revised to March 31, 2027. But sources said the new deadline too is unlikely to be met, given the current pace of physical progress.
Sources cite PMO monitoring as one of the key reasons for the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge project's progress as per schedule thus far, besides the firms selected for its execution.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), which is a fully owned public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, has selected Larsen & Toubro Limited for executing the project.
Once completed, road connectivity between Garo Hills in Meghalaya and the entire north-eastern region is expected to get a huge boost.
The Dhubri-Phulbari bridge will replace hours-long and unreliable river ferry crossing with a 20-minute drive.
Currently, traveling between Dhubri and Phulbari in Meghalaya requires either a slow, hazardous ferry ride across the Brahmaputra or a massive overland detour, for which one must travel approximately 200 km upstream to cross the river via the Naranarayan Setu, which takes 5 to 6 hours.
The new 19.28-km bridge will cut the travel distance directly across the river, reducing transit time to just 15 to 20 minutes.
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