Context

PM Modi inaugurated the 4.94-km-long Bogibeel Bridge in Assam, India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge, on Bramhaputra river.

About

• The bridge is Asia’s second longest rail-cum-road bridge.
• It is constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5,900 crore.
• It has a ‘serviceable period of around 120 years.’
• The bridge will reduce travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours. It will also reduce the Delhi to Dibrugarh train-travel time by about three hours to 34 hours as against 37 hours presently.
• It is the fourth rail-road bridge being built on the Brahmaputra, others are Pandu Saraighat, Kolia Bjumuraguri and Narayan Setu.
• It is the fourth largest bridge in the country and also the largest structure built on the river Brahmaputra.
• The bridge is among the infrastructure projects planned by India to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The bridge will boost economic activity as well as tourism in the region.
• This is very strategic from the defence point of view, and the Army has been demanding it for years. The bridge classification is on the higher side for movement of heavy military equipment. It will drastically cut time for induction of troops and logistics during a war-like situation.
• On downside, the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department of Assam fears that the Bogibeel bridge will impact ferry services to a large extent.