GUWAHATI: The construction of the Second Saraighat Rail-cum-Road Bridge over the Brahmaputra is set to begin with piling work targeted for October 2026, according to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
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The project is being taken up alongside the doubling of the 7.20-km railway section between Agthori and Kamakhya stations. The two projects are intended to add rail and road capacity across the Brahmaputra and improve connectivity between the north and south banks of Guwahati.
The proposed bridge will be a 1.3-km double-decker structure, with two railway lines on the lower deck and a three-lane road carriageway with a footpath on the upper deck.
The existing Saraighat Bridge, which opened in September 1962, currently carries a single railway line and a two-lane road. The first train crossed the existing bridge on September 23, 1962.
The Agthori-Kamakhya railway-doubling project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Railways in 2024, with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) engaged for its execution. NFR said construction in the densely built-up area has involved challenges related to land acquisition, encroachment removal and shifting of existing utilities.
According to the railway, a substantial part of these issues has been addressed with support from the state government and local administration, while coordination continues on the remaining work fronts.
Geotechnical investigations for the project have been completed, while engineering, design and construction drawings are currently being prepared.
The main bridge will be supported by well foundations and feature a welded Open Web Girder superstructure, with each main span measuring 125 metres. The structure will have approach viaducts of around 600 metres on the Agthori side and 200 metres on the Kamakhya side.
The project will also connect with road approaches being developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), providing links towards Jalukbari and the Agthori-side road network.
NFR said digital engineering, construction monitoring, quality-control and safety systems will be used during execution, along with bridge instrumentation to monitor the structure's performance.
Piling work is targeted to start in October 2026, with construction activity expected to increase progressively during the current financial year. The project is scheduled to be completed over the next few years.