It’s official! A long-awaited dream of the people of Assam will finally become a reality. Prime Narendra Modi will formally dedicate Bogibeel bridge, India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge, to the nation on Dec 25.
The 4.94-km-long bridge connects the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra and will improve connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh once it is formally inaugutrated by PM Modi on Dec 25 marking the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who passed away in August this year.
#BigBreaking | Prime Minister @narendramodi to inaugrate Bogibeel bridge on December 25, reports news agency ANI. pic.twitter.com/FGTdrjeDo0
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) December 5, 2018
Incidentally, although it was former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda who had laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 1997, work started five years later — in April 2002 — when the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the construction.
The Railway Ministry had showed its eagerness to inaugurate the Bogibeel bridge coinciding the birth anniversary of Vajpayee.
Incidentally, while the first passenger train chugged along the bridge during a demo run earlier in October this year, the first freight train ran on the tracks on Monday (Dec 3).
“Historic Day for Railways: In a milestone event, the 1st freight train ran on Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest road-cum-rail bridge with a phenomenal stretch of 4.94 kilometres, connecting Assam with Arunachal Pradesh & opening the doors to enhanced connectivity in the North-East,” Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had tweeted.
Historic Day for Railways: In a milestone event, the 1st freight train ran on Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest road-cum-rail bridge with a phenomenal stretch of 4.94 kilometres, connecting Assam with Arunachal Pradesh & opening the doors to enhanced connectivity in the North-East pic.twitter.com/bH97RODDSf
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) December 2, 2018
I shot this beautiful aerial view of India's longest Road- cum- Rail Bogibeel bridge of 4.94 km, connecting Assam with Arunachal Pradesh. A milestone for India and a landmark for North-East. @PiyushGoyal ji is regularly monitoring it under the guidance of @narendramodi ji. pic.twitter.com/IKF5dzPj3z
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 4, 2018
