Jorhat, Nov. 1: Assam is going to have its first modern RCC arch bridge over the Bhogdoi river in Jorhat town connecting two flanks of Assam Trunk Road.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi will formally launch the ambitious Rs7.88crore project in his hometown on November 25.

The proposed bridge will replace the existing one which is over 40 years old and is internally damaged. The new bridge will be bigger and the carriageway for vehicles and pavements wider than the existing one.

Gogoi is scheduled to visit his home district and also Upper Assam for the first time after undergoing a major heart surgery in Mumbai in August.

The chief minister is expected to launch many schemes in his constituency Titabor and other areas of the district.

Jorhat deputy commissioner R.C. Jain said here today that as the existing bridge was found to be internally damaged following inspection by the Public Works Department about six months back, a proposal was submitted by the PWD to the government for a new state-of-the-art bridge.

He said a team, led by PWD commissioner Mohan Bodo, had found that the steel plate girders (on which the concrete structure rests) were rusting and the bridge would be rendered unsuitable for use soon.

This necessitated a PWD proposal for a state-of-the-art bridge.

Jain said with rising traffic on the busy AT Road, the new bridge would be able to ease congestion as itswidth would be much more than the existing one.

Executive engineer (in-charge) of PWD state roads, Jorhat division, Sanjib Lahon, said the superstructure (pre-engineered and prefabricated steel frame) of the bridge had been designed by Mark Sen, an NRI who is a well-known designer of bridges.

He said the length of the bridge would be 60 metres, a little less than the existing one.

Lahon said the total width of the bridge would be 16.4 metres, over four metres wider than the existing one.

The width of carriage area of vehicles will be 10.4 metres while that of two pavements would be 1.5 metres each.

According to the executive engineer, the construction of the bridge is scheduled to be completed within six months. Work is expected to begin by the first week of December.

Lahon said construction would start after two temporary subway wooden bridges were put up on either side of the existing bridge for use by light vehicles and two-wheelers as the path of the main bridge would remain closed during construction.