Built over the Brahmaputra River in a neighbourhood called Saraighat in Guwahati city, the Saraighat Bridge is the first railway cum Road Bridge. In 1958, the construction of the bridge was started and was first inaugurated for goods trucks in 1963 by Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India.
Etymology of Saraighat Bridge
The Saraighat Bridge is actually named after the infamous Battle of Saraighat between the Mughal Empire and the Ahom Kingdom on 1671. Jawaharlal Nehru dedicated the bridge as homage to the Battle of Saraighat.
History of Saraighat Bridge
In 1910, the topic of raising a bridge over the Brahmaputra River was first broached and the idea gathered momentum during the Second World War. The devastating floods of 1942 and 1943 raised some issues over the stability of the railway line between Bongaigaon and Amingaon. And finally after the 1958 Budget session of the Parliament, the decision to construct the Saraighat Bridge was issued.
Overview of Saraighat Bridge
In the dry season of 1958 and 1959, the construction of the Saraighat Bridge was started. The bridge was built by the Northeast Frontier Railway, under the direction of chief engineer Bankim Chandra Ganguli. The foundations and piers for the bridge were built by the Hindustan Construction Company, while the double warren trusses between the piers and the shore were built by the Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Company.
The total length of the bridge is about 4,258 ft. Records state that the Saraighat Bridge is constructed with 14,000 tonnes of steel, 4.2 cubic ft concrete, and 40,000 tonnes of cement and 100 million cubic ft of earthwork. There is also a 40 ft clearance kept from the normal high flood level to ensure free navigation under the bridge.
The Saraighat Bridge was finally completed on September, 1962 and the first engine rolled across it in the same time. This was followed by the Goods Train service from 31st October of the same year. The roadway was opened the following year on March. The road is 24 ft wide with 6 ft wide footpath on both sides. In 2017, a companion three-lane concrete road bridge was inaugurated. Recently, on 6th November, 2012, the Saraighat Bridge celebrated its 50th anniversary.
