Guwahati: Saraighat Bridge over Brahmaputra, a vital link connecting Assam with the rest of the country for over six decades, has undergone comprehensive structural rehabilitation. The project was executed at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore to enhance the bridge’s safety and longevity.The work, undertaken by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), began on July 13 and was completed on Sept 15.Commissioned in 1962, the bridge had developed wear and tear, including deterioration of the upper deck slab and damage to supporting structural members.NFR said routine maintenance and minor repairs were no longer considered adequate. Inspections found distress in an expansion joint at the Amingaon end, deterioration in steel members, structural cracks and cavities in spalled concrete. Water ingress had damaged eight of the bridge’s 11 expansion joints; all eight were repaired.NFR general manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava, who reopened the bridge on Wednesday, said it had not undergone a major overhaul since its construction.“Even after 64 years of service, this marvel of bridge engineering is still standing,” he said.Srivastava said the railway had observed signs of deterioration over the past two to four years, including frequent failures in the overhead equipment line beneath the bridge. He said falling portions and water seepage had contributed to the damage and made major repairs necessary.He said the railway had been given a two-month traffic block to carry out the work. Damaged cross-members supporting the road were repaired, the old bituminous surface was removed and a new macadam-bituminous layer was laid. The approach roads on both sides were also improved, he said.As part of the rehabilitation, distressed portions of the concrete road deck were removed and recast. Underlying steel members were repaired and strengthened at several locations. The restored deck sections were cured to improve durability and structural integrity, NFR said.Srivastava also said a new rail-cum-road bridge was being built near the existing bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
