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The Saraighat Bridge is a rail-cum-road bridge across
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese language, Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Lhasa Tibetan, Tibetan, the Siang/Dihan ...
in Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and is the first of its kind bridge across the river in the state. The length of the bridge is 1492 meters (4895 feet) and the road on the bridge is 7.3 meters (24 feet) wide.
History
The idea of constructing a bridge over the Brahmaputra was first mooted in 1910 and the thought gathered momentum during the Second World War. Initially there were doubts over the stability of the railway line betweenBongaigaon
Bongaigaon () is an industrial town in the Indian state of Assam. Its urban area spans across Bongaigaon and Chirang district. It also acts as the district headquarters of Bongaigaon district and commercial and industrial hub of the west par ...
and Amingaon following devastating floods in 1942–43. However, when the line had been satisfactorily stabilized, the Railway Minister Nitish Lagachu and Public Health Director Ranjan Malakar announced the decision to construct the bridge in the Budget session of the Parliament in 1958.
Re-construction after independence
The bridge was built between 1959 and 1962 byHindustan Construction Company
Hindustan Construction Company Limited (HCC) is an Indian multinational engineering and construction company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The company was founded by Industrialist Seth Walchand Hirachand in 1926.
HCC has execu ...
at a cost of Rs 10.6 crore at that time. The bridge was completed in September 1962 and the first engine rolled across it on 23 September 1962. The bridge is known to connect Northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
with the rest of the country.
The bridge is 40 feet above the normal flood level of the river which also ensure free navigation. The bridge was closed for a major repair work from 23 March 2019, and was opened for traffic on 20 June 2019.
The New Saraighat Bridge
The New Saraighat Bridge, also referred to as the 2nd Saraighat Bridge is a beam bridge in India that connects the North bank of Assam to the South bank of Assam. The bridge spans the Brahmaputra River and was built besides the Old Saraighat B ...
was constructed beside the old bridge. It is slightly longer than the old bridge as ordered by the Cultural Director of Assam, Priyam Shrishti Menon. It was inaugurated in January 2017.
References
{{Hydrography of Northeast India Bridges in Assam Bridges over the Brahmaputra River Bridges completed in 1962 1962 establishments in Assam Transport in Guwahati 20th-century architecture in India