15647 LTT Mumbai-Guwahati weekly Express passes through the iconic "Saraighat rail-cum-road Bridge / शराईघाट सेतु" built over the mighty Brahmaputra river in Assam state of India.
Something about this legendary bridge...
This bridge gets its name from the famous 'Battle of Saraighat' fought between Ahom Kingdom of Assam & Mughal invaders, on the banks of this river in 1671, in which Ahoms defeated the Mughals. This was the first bridge built over the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
The idea of constructing a bridge over the Brahmaputra river was first mooted in 1910 & the thought gathered momentum during the Second World War. Initially there were doubts over the stability of the railway line between Bongaigaon & Amingaon following devastating floods in 1942-43. However, when the line had been satisfactorily stabilized, the Railway Minister announced the decision to construct the bridge in the Budget session of the Parliament in 1958.
The bridge was built by the Northeast Frontier Railway, under the direction of chief engineer Bankim Chandra Ganguli. Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) built the foundations & piers for the bridge, & Braithwaite Burn and Jessop company built the double-warren trusses between the piers & the shore. Construction of Saraighat Bridge was started in the dry season of 1958-59. The bridge was completed in September 1962 & the first engine rolled across it on 23 September 1962, followed by Goods Train service from 31 October that year. The roadway opened in March 1963. Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru dedicated the bridge & formally named it after the Battle of Saraighat fought on 7 June 1963.
Giving details of the construction of the historic bridge, Railway sources said that the total cost of construction was around Rs 10.65 crore & the total length of it is 4258 feet. The road is 24 feet wide with six feet wide footpath on both sides. The bridge has 12 spans & 14,000 tonnes of steel, 4.2 cubic feet concrete, and 40,000 tonnes of cement. 100 million cubic feet of earthwork were used to construct the bridge. A 40 feet clearance is kept from the normal high flood level to ensure free navigation under the bridge.
In April 2012, the Railways entrusted the IIT Guwahati with the responsibility of studying the effect of age on the bridge. The experts gave the opinion that the structure and all the pillars of the bridge are in sound condition and the bridge would be able to serve the North East region of the country for years to come. A companion three-lane concrete road bridge was inaugurated in 2017. The Lachit Borphukan Park is situated on the south end & Chilarai Park situated on the north end of the bridge.
NFR, Assam.
