India's longest river bridge, capable of withstanding the weight of a 60-tonne battle tanks, will be inaugurated in Assam, close to the border with China on 26 May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The construction of the bridge began in 2011 by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's UPA Government.

Now 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra river will be India's longest river bridge after the inauguration. It is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, making it the longest bridge in India.

The construction of the bridge is seen as an attempt by India to shore up its defence infrastructure along the Sino- Indian border. It is also part of the Centre's endeavour to improve connectivity in the region.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the strategically important bridge to the nation on 26 May. It will bolster road connectivity in the Northeast as the bridge will be used by people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh besides defence forces extensively.

The construction of the bridge began in 2011 at a project cost of Rs 950 crore by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's UPA Government. It has been designed to withstand the movement of military tanks.

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have huge strategic value to India. Since the bridge is located close to India's border with China, it will help quick movement of military troops and artillery in times of conflict.

The bridge is located 540 km from Assam’s capital Dispur and 300 km from Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar.

The aerial distance to the Chinese border is less than 100 km.

After Kaliabhomora bridge near Tezpur, there is no bridge over the Brahmaputra for the next 375 km upstream till Dhola, where the new one has been constructed. Currently, all transportation between the two banks of the river is through water.

The bridge, when opened to public, will cut down the travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by as much as four hours.

As there is no civilian airport in Arunachal Pradesh, this bridge will help people of the state reach the nearest rail head in Tinsukia and the airport in Dibrugarh easily.

The bridge is one of the key projects of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the northeast and has been built in public-private partnership.

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