June 29, 2023: The Assam government will construct an underwater tunnel between Numaligarh and Gohpur, under the Brahmaputra River at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said as stated in media reports. The tenders for the tunnel to be built will open on July 4, 2023, to prepare a detailed project report (DPR).
The proposed tunnel, which will be 35 kilometre (km), will be the first rail-road tunnel to be constructed in northeast India.
According to the chief minister, the project will have two separate tunnels. One of the tunnels will be for trains while the other will be for vehicles. The tunnel will reduce the travel time between Numaligarh and Gohpur to around 40 minutes and the distance to around 33 km. Currently, it takes around 5-6 hours to cover the distance of around 220 km between the two cities.
The proposed tunnel will bring the south and north areas of Brahmaputra closer and ease connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh.
The Brahmaputra River is a transboundary river flowing through Tibet (China), northeastern India and Bangladesh. There are several bridges constructed over the river to facilitate transportation. Some of the bridges include the Bogibeel Bridge, the Dhubri Phulbari Bridge, the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge, the Kolia Bhomora Setu, the Naranarayan Setu and the Saraighat Bridge.
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