The foundation stone laying ceremony of the Dhubri-Phulbhari Bridge was performed in presence of Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam. The 19KM long Dhubri-Phulbhari Bridge will connect Assam and Meghalaya over the Brahmaputra River. It will be the longest river bridge in India.
Since 2008, Japan, through its funding agency known as JICA, has extended 231 billion Japanese Yen (Rs 16,174-crore) as concessional ODA loans for development of North East Region. The Dhubri-Phulbhari Bridge is being constructed with financial support from Japan, amounting to JPY 25,483 million (Rs 1,573-crore). Once the bridge is completed, the distance between Dhubri and Phulbhari will become very shorter.
Mr. Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India said, the Dhubri-Phulbhari Bridge symbolizes the friendship between Japan and India and, in particular, the cooperative relationship that Japan and India will have in the North East of India in the future. Mr. Matsumoto Katsuo, Chief Representative, JICA India said, the construction of the Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge is expected to improve access from Bhutan to Bangladesh via India, facilitate the movement of people and the flow of goods, the flow of ideas.
