25 December 2018•Update: 25 December 2018
By Ahmad Adil
CHANDIGARH, India
India's prime minister on Tuesday inaugurated the longest rail-road bridge of the country in the northeastern state of Assam.
The Bogibeel Bridge spans over the Brahmaputra River between Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts of Assam.
“This bridge is a marvel of engineering and technology, ... This bridge reduces distances between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It was a dream of region’s people for generations that came true now,” a statement by the Indian government quoted PM Narendra Modi as saying.
According to the Indian government, the bridge “is of immense economic and strategic significance for the nation.”
The bridge -- second-largest rail-cum-road bridge of Asia -- was constructed at an estimated cost of 59 billion rupees (some $840 million), according to local media reports.
It “is part of infrastructure projects planned to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh”, India Today, a fortnightly news magazine, said.
“The foundation stone of the project was laid by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on January 22, 1997, while work commenced on April 21, 2002, under the Atal Bihari
Vajpayee-led government. The Congress-led UPA government declared it a national project in 2007,” said the report.
