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58 pc Bogibeel bridge fund utilized

By Staff reporter - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

GUWAHATI, June 16 � The Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge across the Brahmaputra, the longest bridge of its type over the river, has seen an investment of a little more that its total estimated cost recently, and its vital substructure should be complete by 2013. Nearly 58 per cent of its total budget, estimated recently, has been spent in construction of the bridge and related structures so far, according to NF Railway.

Of the total estimate of Rs 3,230 crore, around Rs 1,871 crore has been utillised, which includes the complex task of creating a major part of the substructure.

The ambitious construction that has been declared a national project would be a crucial infrastructure to accelerate economic growth in Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh apart from addressing needs of the Armed forces like supplying logistics to the border with China.

According to information acquired by The Assam Tribune, the 4.94 km long bridge would be the first of its kind to have all-welded composite girders in the country, which would contribute to its strength as well as its aesthetic appeal.

While work on the substructure is going on, progress has also been made in creating two large bunds on both ends of the bridge. The structures have been built to constrict the main channel of the river so that the bridge could span a relatively smaller distance, railway engineers revealed. On the south bank the guide bund will be 2,043 metres in length and on the south it would stretch 2,792 metres.

At present work is going on in 22 piers and 41 piers would have to be constructed in all, a task that has been challenging because of the turbulent river and foul weather in the form of heavy rainfall during the rainy season.

According to official information, a 44km stretch that would connect the bridge with Moranhat has been completed, and another link is being built on the other bank. Once completed, the bridge would substantially slash travel time between Itanagar, North bank towns in Assam with Dibrugarh and Upper Assam.

On the possible effect of the new guide bunds on the river's hydrology, a senior NFR official stated that no adverse impact upstream and downstream of the river is expected as feared by some quarters. The bunds have been constructed only after detailed studies were carried out by competent experts, he claimed.

When asked about the start of work on the super structure of the bridge, NFR sources revealed that tender has been invited and would be submitted to the Railway Board for approval. The superstructure of the bridge that would have double tracks is scheduled to be complete by 2014.