India’s Longest River Bridge Connecting Assam And Meghalaya Is Nearly Two-Thirds Complete—Here's All About It

One of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, a Rs 4,997-crore bridge across the Brahmaputra, is rapidly taking shape between Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya, with over 60 per cent of the work already completed, The Sentinel reported.

At 12.62 km, it will be the longest river bridge in the country, and a critical link for the Northeast.

The significance of the project has increased further after the central government initiated plans for a new four-lane highway from Phulbari to Shillong, for which the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has already floated tenders for a feasibility study and Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The bridge is part of National Highway 127B, and the total length of the project, including approach roads, stretches to 19.28 km.

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The NHIDCL has entrusted construction to Larsen & Toubro (L&T), with a completion deadline of September 2028. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is closely monitoring the project, underscoring its national importance.

The bridge has been designed by the Japanese agency JICA, which is also providing loan assistance for its construction, according to NHIDCL.

Currently, residents and goods transporters between Dhubri and Phulbari rely on boats and ferries to cross the Brahmaputra, or detour several hours via Goalpara and Bongaigaon.

Once the bridge is operational, travel time between the two points is expected to drop to just 35 to 40 minutes.

Beyond local connectivity, the bridge is poised to become a major transit link within the larger framework of the government’s Act East Policy and infrastructure push in the Northeast, especially as it connects to the upcoming Phulbari-Shillong road and potentially to regional corridors like the Kaladan Multimodal Transit network in the future.

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