Assam public works department minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the construction of the proposed bridge between Guwahati and North Guwahati will start after it receives the loan from the New Development Bank.
The bank, earlier known as BRICS Development Bank, will finalise the loan on July 8.
Inaugurating a two-laned RCC bridge connecting the socio-literary cultural complex of Bodo Sahitya Sabha at Ahomgaon and National Highway 37, Sarma said, “The PWD department will build the bridge connecting the northern and southern banks of the Brahmaputra after finalisation of Rs 2,600-crore loan from the New Development Bank. After finalisation of the loan, we will able to start the work from September.” “The proposed bridge over the Brahmaputra will reduce travelling time to North Guwahati via Saraighat bridge to a great extent. The bridge will be 1.6km-long and will be using technology superior to conventional bridge designs in terms of construction, safety and aesthetics,” he added.
The minister also said the PWD department had taken up several projects. “We will upgrade 32 important state highways and major district roads upto the standard of national highways. One of these roads is the Kokrajhar to Rupshi airport road.”
“The department has taken up 13 pilot projects for constructing small bridges. Today’s bridge is one of the pilot projects of the PWD department. The 15-metre bridge, costing Rs 1.68 crore, has been built over the Basistha river at Ahomgaon,” Sarma said.
“The project is part of the World Bank-aided Assam State Roads Project. We have already completed construction of 11 such bridges and two will be completed within August. We have taken only two years to complete all the bridges,” he claimed.
The loan and project agreement was signed on November 5, 2012. “More than 5,000 people live in the area. The newly constructed bridge will improve communication. The bridge will also aid in socio-economic development of Gorchuk, Ahomgaon, Kakatipara and nearby areas,” said Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary.
