What is India's Longest River Bridge?

India has hundreds of massive, powerful rivers, and spanning them requires incredible, heavy-duty engineering. For many decades, the Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Bihar held the title of the longest bridge. However, in 2017, a massive new engineering marvel in Northeast India completely shattered that record.

Question (Click to Flip)

Which is the longest railway bridge in India?

Answer

The longest railway bridge is the Vembanad Rail Bridge in Kerala (4.62 km). However, the massive Bogibeel Bridge in Assam (4.94 km) holds the record for being the longest combined 'Rail-cum-Road' bridge.

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Key Facts

The bridge is named in honor of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, a highly legendary, massively famous singer, poet, and filmmaker from Assam.

If we talk about the longest Sea Bridge (over the ocean, not a river), the record belongs to the massive 'Atal Setu' (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link), which is an unbelievable 21.8 km long.

1. The Longest River Bridge

Currently, the longest river bridge in India is the Bhupen Hazarika Setu, also heavily known as the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge.

2. Massive Dimensions and Location

Total Length: It is an astonishing 9.15 Kilometers (5.69 miles) long.
Location: It is located in the massive state of Assam in Northeast India.
The River: It spans across the massive Lohit River (which is a major, highly powerful tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra River).

3. Why is it so strategically important?

Civilian Benefit: Before this bridge, people had to use slow river ferries. The bridge drastically cut down the massive travel time between the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh from 6 hours to just 1 hour.
Military Power: The bridge was deliberately engineered to be massively strong. It is capable of supporting the massive 60-ton weight of India's heavy Arjun Battle Tanks. Since Arunachal Pradesh shares a highly sensitive border with China, this bridge allows the Indian Army to rush massive troops and heavy artillery to the border extremely fast in case of an emergency.

Questions and Answers

Which is the longest railway bridge in India?+

The longest railway bridge is the **Vembanad Rail Bridge** in Kerala (4.62 km). However, the massive **Bogibeel Bridge** in Assam (4.94 km) holds the record for being the longest combined 'Rail-cum-Road' bridge.

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