Indian Economy
Bogibeel Bridge
- 26 Dec 2018
- 2 min read
Prime Minister inaugurated the Bogibeel railway-road bridge, in Assam which is India’s longest railroad bridge (4.94 km).
- It spans over the river Brahmaputra connecting Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts of Assam.
- Besides providing rail connectivity, it will link two existing national highways—NH-37 on the south bank and NH-52 on the north bank.
- In a comparison of all bridges across water, the Bogibeel comes in at fourth, after the neighbouring Dhola-Sadiya road bridge (9.15 km), the Patna-Hajipur road bridge (5.75 km), and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (5.6 km).
- It has taken more than three decades to build after it was promised as a part of the Assam Accord in 1985 - an initiative directed towards improving the state’s infrastructure.
Significance of the Bridge
- Regional connectivity: The bridge will significantly reduce the journey from Dibrugarh in Assam to the Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar. It will benefit tourists, trade goods and those seeking medical treatment.
- Defence: The bridge will facilitate quicker movement of troops and equipment to areas near the India-China border.
- International relations: With increased intra-North-East connectivity and transnational linkages like trilateral highway connecting Manipur to Thailand, rail connectivity through Bangladesh between mainland India and Tripura etc. open up unprecedented economic opportunity in the region and end its isolation.
