Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge will reduce the distance between the two places by 203 kilometres.
He was addressing a gathering in Assam's Phuloni at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a bridge over the Brahmaputra river between Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya.
"Demand for a bridge over river Brahmaputra, between Dhubri, Assam and Phulbari, Meghalaya is 10 years old. With this, the distance between Dhubri and Phulbari will be shortened by 203 kilometres," said Gadkari, who is Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
He also informed that 55 km-long road from Serampore in West Bengal to Dhubri in Assam, a part of the project, will reduce distance and time needed to travel to Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Gadkari stated, "Assam and Meghalaya will have a direct connection with West Bengal through this bridge. The 55 km-long road construction from Serampore in West Bengal to Dhubri, Assam will begin this October. It will save the distance and time needed to travel to Bhutan, Bangladesh."
For people living in remote areas of Assam's Majuli Island in the Brahmaputra River, the 2-lane major bridge including approaches over Brahmaputra River between Majuli (Kamalabari) and Jorhat (Nimati Ghat) (6.8 km) on NH-715K costing Rs 925.47 crore is being constructed, informed the minister.
Gadkari further said that the bridge will provide easy and all-time access to health, education and day to day development activities to the people of Assam.
The Minister said, "Similarly, the people of Meghalaya (Phulbari) on South bank of Brahmaputra River and People of Assam (near Dhubri) on North Bank of Brahmaputra river have to travel a long distance to meet their day to day economic activities with developed towns of Meghalaya and Assam. This 4 lane Dhubri - Phulbari Bridge to be constructed on river Brahmaputra in the State of Assam and Meghalaya on NH-127B costing Rs 4997 crore will reduce travel distance from 205 km to only 19 km and travel time from 6 hours to 20 minutes."
According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the 19 Km four-lane Dhubri - Phulbari Bridge on the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam and Meghalaya on NH-127B, costing Rs 4997 Crore will be completed by September 2028.
The project has a vertical clearance of 10.50 metres over high flood level and navigational length of 12.625 kilometres to facilitate waterway transport on National watery way-2, as per a statement issued by the ministry.
According to the statement, the bridge will provide a third alternative link to the states of Meghalaya, Mpur, Mizoram, Tripura and Barak valley region of Assam with the rest of the country. The bridge will improve regional connectivity by connecting Bangladesh with Bhutan through Dalu (in Meghalaya on India-Bangladesh border) and Hatisar (in Assam on India-Bhutan border) via Tura, Phulbari, Dhubri, Srirampur and Samthaibari.
( With inputs from ANI )
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