The long-stalled Majuli–Jorhat bridge project over the Brahmaputra is set to resume as the Centre has finalised a new contractor to complete the remaining work, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The project had been on hold since September 2024 after the previous contractor, UP State Bridge Corporation Ltd (UPSBCL), abruptly stopped work without providing any official reason.
Announcing the development on X on Monday night, Sarma said the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for completing the balance work of the crucial two-lane bridge, a significant step toward reconnecting Majuli with the mainland.
According to the LOA shared by the chief minister, Haryana-based SPS Construction India Pvt Ltd has been selected as the new contractor, with a bid of ₹657.66 crore (excluding GST) for constructing the main bridge. The company will execute a total of 8.03 km of work, including a 6.81 km bridge span and approach sections.
MoRTH has directed the firm to deposit a performance security of ₹32.88 crore. The accepted bid was noted to be the lowest evaluated and “substantially responsive,” the LOA mentioned. While the document did not specify a fresh timeline for starting or completing construction, it has renewed hope for the long-delayed project, considered a lifeline for the river island of Majuli.
The overall project cost was revised to ₹1,019.17 crore in March this year, an increase of around ₹94 crore from the previous estimate. The bridge was initially sanctioned at ₹925.47 crore to be built under NH-715K at Dakshinpat in Majuli.
Chief Minister Sarma had inaugurated the construction work in November 2021, with the state government forming a cabinet committee to review progress regularly. The bridge was earlier targeted for completion by November 2025.
The plan for the bridge dates back to 2016, when Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid its foundation to connect Jorhat, Majuli, and Lakhimpur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi again laid the foundation stone in February 2021 ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, reinforcing the government’s commitment to improve connectivity to the world’s largest river island.
