Five Facts About The Bogibeel Rail-Cum-Road Bridge — What Makes It So Special?

The Bogibeel Bridge, in Assam will be India's largest rail-cum-road bridge when it starts operations in 2018.

The bridge is being built over the Brahmaputra river, and will connect lesser developed areas of Assam and the state of Arunachal Pradesh with the rest of the country.

So let's take a look the Bogibeel bridge and find out what makes it so special.

14 Years In The Making With Another Two More To Go

14 Years In The Making With Another Two More To Go

Work on the Bogibeel startedin 2002 after Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, laid the foundation stone for the bridge on 21 April.

Thebridge was planned to be completed within seven years but has been severely delayed by the fact that construction largely takes place only during a period of four dry months between November and March.

Longest Rail-Cum-Road Bridge In India

Longest Rail-Cum-Road Bridge In India

The Bogibeel bridge will be 4940 metres long when it is finally completed in 2017 and will replace the4,556 metre long Digha-Sonpur bridge in Bihar as the longest rail-cum-road bridge In India.

Bridge Over The Mighty Brahmaputra

Bridge Over The Mighty Brahmaputra

The Bogibeel bridge crosses the Brahmaputra river in the Dibrugarh district of Assam.

The river is actually a lot wider in the area the Bogibeel is being constructed. To Counter this, engineers used guide bundhs to constrict the expanse of the river from 10 kilometres to 5 kilometres.

The guide bundhs alsoprevent bridge structure from erosion, control the velocity of river water flow and its tendency to change course.

Double Decker Bridge

Double Decker Bridge

The Bogibeel will serve both rail and road traffic with the Indian Railways operating two sets of broad gauge tracks while the upper deck will play host to a three lane road.

In total, the Indian railways will lay down 74 km of railway line to connect the bridge to the rest of the Railway network.

The Cost

The Cost

When it first thought up, the Bogibeel was expected to cost Rs.17.67 billion but long delays and overspending have raised the price of the Bogibeel to an eye-wateringRs. 49.96 billion.

Most Read Articles

English
Read more on: #off beat
Article Published On: Saturday, August 27, 2016, 11:53 [IST]
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X