The Inauguration of a Record-Breaking Vehicular Bridge in India

May 26, 2017

The Dhola-Sadiya Bridge was opened in the state of Assam in northeastern India, This beam bridge, crossing the Lohit River (a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River), connects the village of Dhola in the south with the town of Sadiya to the north. The Dhola-Sadiya Bridge was formally inaugurated by Narendra Modi, prime minister of India; and Nitin Gadkari, the country’s minister of road transport and highways.

With a length of 5.7 miles (9.2 kilometers), the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge is the longest bridge to be built over water in India. This record-setting structure is also known as the Bhupen Hazarika Setu. (Setu is the Hindi word for “bridge.”) A native of Assam, Bhupen Hazarika (1926-2011) was a renowned musician and filmmaker.

Photo Credits: DHOLA SADIYA RIVER BRIDGE; Rohit Rajkonwar (both licensed under Creative Commons)

Additional information on the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge (also called the Bhupen Hazarika Setu) is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhola%E2%80%93Sadiya_Bridge

For more information on India’s longest bridges over water, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_bridges_above_water_in_India