NEW DELHI: Asia’s longest bridge on
Brahmaputra
, which will reduce travel time between Assam and
Arunachal Pradesh
by four hours, will be opened for public on May 26 coinciding with
Modi government’s three years in power.
The
Dhola-Sadiya bridge
, capable of withstanding the weight of a 60-tonne battle tank, will improve the movement of civilian and military vehicles to strategic locations up to Anini in Arunachal Pradesh. Anini is barely 100km from China border.
While the inauguration of the 9.15km bridge by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi just before the monsoon is being seen as a big gift to the people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, who either take a long detour to cross the river or spend over four hours crossing the mighty
Bramhaputra
in a ferry, it has huge strategic importance as well.
At present, there is no bridge fortified for passage of tanks around Tinsukia from where troops can cross over to Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, it will cut time for the armed forces to reach the border in Dibang and Anjaw via Tezpur, which takes two days (about 186km from Guwahati) now.
TOI had reported in September that the road transport and highway ministry was working hard to make the bridge operational before this monsoon. The two-lane bridge has been built with design speed of 100kmph to facilitate fast movement.
News agency PTI quoted Assam CM
Sarbanada Sonowal
saying that the PM will dedicate the bridge on May 26.
“Since the bridge is located close to our border with China, it will help in quick movement of troops and artillery in times of conflict,” Sonowal said.
Road ministry sources said that the bridge connectivity is also important as Arunachal Pradesh does not have a single operational airport and with China building air strips on its side of the line of actual control it will come as a shot in the arm for the military.
They added that the existing national highway stretch between Meka and Anini (NH-13) is being widened to two lanes.
The construction of the bridge began in June 2011 at a project cost of Rs 950 crore. “The work on approach roads of the main bridge is in full swing and we will complete them before inauguration,” road ministry sources said.
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