In a milestone for a new age of urban mobility in Assam, on Saturday 14 February 2026 the PM Modi unveiled the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu. This six-lane extradosed bridge over the Brahmaputra River joins the main city of Guwahati, along with North Guwahati, saving the driver’s seat nearly an hour from driving to the town.
The inauguration of the project was part of PM’s day visit to Assam for its development and the project is valued at ₹5,450 crore.
Marvel Engineering First of its Kind: Northeast
Constructed from ₹3,030 crore, the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu isn't just a bridge but a display of cutting-edge engineering:
Extradosed: The North-East of India's first PSC bridge, a bridge that is extradosed is a combination of both girder bridge and cable-stayed bridge.
Seismic Resilience – The bridge is situated in a high-seismic region and features specialized base isolation technology, used through friction pendulum bearings, to withstand extreme earthquakes. Smart Monitoring: It has a Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) to assist officials in real-time monitoring of the quality of structure and early detection of damage.
Key Benefits for the Region
- Twin City Vision: The bridge will further drive development for North Guwahati as a "twin city" to Guwahati, reducing pressure on the main city.
- Financial Aid: Faster transit from the two banks will be more convenient for students, businesses and patients coming and going to major hospitals.
- Connectivity: It helps to get the best of the finest institutions in IIT Guwahati, as well as IIM Guwahati as recently opened.
Beyond the Bridge: Other Big Launches
PM Modi also delivered some other big projects during his visit:
- National Data Centre (NER): A state-of-the-art, technology-rich facility in Amingaon, home to government applications critical to all the states of the NE.
- IIM Guwahati : The Prime Minister has opened a temporary campus of the second IIM in the Northeast, to enhance management education there.
- PM-eBus Sewa: Offered as ‘spotty’ as promised: 225 electric shuttles, 100 dedicated to Guwahati green public transport.
