Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday inaugurated India’s longest road-rail bridge, which will cut travel time and give a boost to defence logistics along the northeastern border with China.
The 4.9km Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Assam connects Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts, which border Arunachal Pradesh state, a territory claimed by China.
“Bogibeel is not merely a bridge, but a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people in the region. It has enhanced connectivity between Assam and other parts of the nation,” Modi told a public rally at the site.
The bridge, which features a three-lane road on top and a double-line rail track below, holds huge significance for India’s defence, as it has been built strong enough to facilitate the movement of battle tanks and even support fighter jet landings.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh is part of southern Tibet and thus Chinese territory.
It has protested India’s decision to allow Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit the region and the development of infrastructure there.
The bridge, built at a cost of Rs59bn ($840mn), will reduce rail and road travel time by between three and four hours, according to officials.
Frontier disputes between the Asian giants are a legacy of a border war in 1962 and have not been resolved despite numerous rounds of talks.
Bogibeel is the second major bridge in the region, after the 9.15kme Dhola-Sadiya road bridge, which provides a connection to Arunachal Pradesh, was opened last year.
Bogibeel is also Asia’s second-longest rail-and-road connector and has a lifespan of around 120 years, officials said.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid in 1997.
Work remained pending for 16 years and was taken up only in the last four years, after Modi assumed office, the government claimed.
“The dedication of the historic Bogibeel rail-road bridge is a symbol of good governance. This bridge is a marvel of engineering and technology, and is of immense strategic significance,” he said.
“It would greatly enhance ease of living in this region,” Modi said adding that this bridge had been a dream for the people of this region for generations.
The prime minister said while only three bridges were built over the Brahmaputra in the last 60-70 years, three bridges have been completed in the last four-and-a-half years alone.
“Another five are in progress. Once completed, all these bridges would enhance connectivity between the northern and southern banks of the Brahmaputra,” he said, adding that the pace of development will transform the northeast.
The bridge’s inauguration was timed to mark the birth anniversary of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee – like Modi, also from the Bharatiya Janata Party – who led the country between 1999 and 2004.
Media reports said Bogibeel Bridge was designed like a bridge that links Sweden and Denmark, and is India’s only fully-welded bridge that matches European codes and welding standards.