The strategic 4.9 km rail-cum-road bridge, will provide connectivity to nearly five million people residing in Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated the Bogibeel bridge to the nation. Built on the Brahmaputra river in Dibrugarh district of Assam, it is the first fully welded steel bridge and the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India. Bogibeel bridge will provide connectivity to nearly five million people residing in Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Bogibeel Bridge is a marvel of engineering & technology and is of immense strategic significance. This bridge had been a dream for the people of this region for generations and is now a reality. – Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The project boasts of multiple benefits such as strategic and speedier access for defence forces to the Indo-China border, seamless access for medical facilities to remote north-eastern states, and most importantly reducing by nearly 10 hours the transportation distance between NH-37 and NH-52, saving transportation cost, time and fuel. Mr. Arjun Dhawan, CEO, HCC, said, “We have time and again undertaken complex infrastructure projects that are benchmarks in India’s infrastructure journey. Bogibeel Bridge is an engineering masterpiece which has many technical firsts to its name. It is India’s first fully welded Warren truss girder type steel bridge. Not only has an incremental launching technique for superstructure erection been used for the first time in India, it is also the world’s longest incrementally launched steel bridge. We are proud to create such marvels for the nation.”
A strong and progressive Eastern India, is the key to a strong and progressive India. – Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The HCC team through its sheer determination and grit completed this project, as bridging the mighty Brahmaputra has always been a daunting task. The river is extremely difficult to bridge due to various reasons including its ferocious and unpredictable behaviour, high currents and turbulent waters, widespread erosion of the banks, short working period, high seismicity and the sheer remoteness of the area. With the width ranging from 1.2 km to 18 km, the Brahmaputra has been bridged only four times in the past. The superstructure of the Bogibeel bridge has been constructed using special copper bearing steel plates in order to reduce corrosion. Furthermore, due to excessive humidity in the area, a complex Corrosion Protection System specific to different components of the bridge has been implemented. To offer good stability to the heavy spans (1700 MT), seismic restrainers are provided. The bridge is designed to withstand earthquakes with magnitudes in excess of 7.
Essar Steel was amongst the largest supplier of customised high grade heavy plates for the Bogibeel Bridge. The Company has made some pioneering contributions by developing specialised steel for the bridge. Tailor-made steel was used for durability and strength while keeping in mind the fact that the bridge is in a seismic prone zone. It has supplied approximately one third of the quantity of steel plates required for the project. Vikram Amin, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing, Essar Steel, said, “Being part of such a landmark effort to build the longest rail-cum-road bridge for the nation is a matter of immense pride for us. Essar Steel is known for its quality and customised features, and hence is part of many megastructures the country boasts of today. It was extremely rewarding for us to contribute in nation building through our Make in India products, and we hope to continue delivering high-quality value-added steel to our customers.”
