PM Modi Inaugurates Rs 3,030 Crore Bridge Over Brahmaputra

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, India’s first six-lane extradosed bridge, spanning the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

The Rs 3,030 crore project establishes a direct road link between Guwahati and North Guwahati, significantly easing movement across the river.

The bridge, the first of its kind in the Northeast, is expected to reduce travel time between the two banks from nearly an hour during peak congestion to about seven minutes. For years, commuters had to rely either on the traffic-clogged Saraighat Bridge or ferry services frequently disrupted by floods and fog. The new structure offers an all-weather alternative.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who accompanied the Prime Minister, hailed the inauguration as a milestone for the state.

“The man who made this dream of Assam turn into a reality, Adarniya Narendra Modi ji takes a walk at the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu as he inaugurated this India's first six-lane extradosed bridge,” Sarma added.

Engineered to withstand high seismic activity in the region, the prestressed concrete bridge incorporates base isolation technology with friction pendulum bearings. High-performance stay cables add to its structural strength, while a Bridge Health Monitoring System will track performance in real time and help detect early signs of stress or damage.

Named after the 7th-century ruler of the Kamrupa kingdom, Kumar Bhaskar Varma, the bridge pays tribute to a monarch remembered for ushering in prosperity and strengthening ancient Assam’s political standing.

During the event, the Prime Minister also virtually inaugurated the temporary campus of the Indian Institute of Management Guwahati, marking a key step in expanding management education in the region.

In addition, he inaugurated a high-tech data centre aimed at serving the Northeast.

Under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, Modi flagged off 225 electric buses. Of these, 100 will operate in Guwahati, while 50 each have been allocated to Nagpur and Bhavnagar, and 25 to Chandigarh.

The inauguration marks a major addition to Assam’s transport infrastructure, promising smoother connectivity, reduced congestion and a boost to economic activity in the region.

Also Read: Union Cabinet Clears India’s First Underwater Rail-Road Tunnel Under Brahmaputra: CM Sarma