Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-road bridge, on the birth anniversary of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- December 25 -- observed as "Good Governance Day" by the Centre, according o a report published on /www.indiatoday.in.
The bridge connects the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam's Dibrugarh district with Silapathar in Dhemaji district, bordering Arunachal Pradesh.
Modi, who flagged off the first train on the bridge, described its opening as a "historic" feat, and called it a lifeline for the people of Assam.
"This will usher in a new era of progress and development for the Northeastern states, with enhanced connectivity that will spur economic growth in the region," Union Minister JP Nadda said earlier.
Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 59.0 billion, Asia's second-longest rail-road bridge is part of infrastructure projects planned to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh.
This includes the construction of a trans-Arunachal highway on the Brahmaputra's north bank, and new road and rail links over the river and its major tributaries.
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.
Today, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said Modi had fulfilled Vajpayee's dreams.
Chief Engineer Mohinder Singh said the 4.9 km-long bridge is the nation's only fully welded bridge, for which European codes and welding standards were adhered to for the first time in India. He said it has a "serviceable period of around 120 years".
The Bogibeel Bridge reduces travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours and will cut out a detour of over 170 km via Tinsukia.
It will also reduce the train travel time between Delhi and Dibrugarh by about three hours.
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