Rewriting Guwahati Travel Story: Kumar Bhaskar Setu cuts distance, links lives

Guwahati: Call it an engineering marvel or game changer for Assam's financial hub Guwahati, the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu which connected the two banks of mighty Brahmaputra of Guwahati has joined the separated hearts.

From Guwahati travelling to North Guwahati was full of ordeal. One must take ferry service or move via Saraighat bridge which was the first bridge over the Brahmaputra. The 1.298 km rail cum road bridge was built in 1962.

When the water level of Brahmaputra increased, ferry services were discontinued. Moving through the road meant one had to bear the traffic congestion and hours of driving. Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu was inaugurated on February 14, 2026, by Prime minister Narendra Modi.


The 6-lane bridge, 1.24 km extradosed bridge across the Brahmaputra connecting Guwahati (Bharalumukh) and North Guwahati was built at a cost of ₹3,030 cr.

The bridge slashed travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati from 45 to 60 minutes down to a mere 7 to 10 minutes. This 1.24-km extradosed bridge is a part of a wider 8.4-km connectivity corridor.

The bridge is a part of a larger plan to decongest the southern bank of the city. Chiranjit Nandi, a Yoga instructor, had to commute twice a week to North Guwahati. He is a yoga instructor for young cricketers.

Nandi told ET, "I stay in the Jyotikuchi area of Guwahati. I had a tough time travelling to the stadium. First I had to come to the riverbank and put my two wheeler in the ferry and travel to North Guwahati. My travel time has reduced drastically."

"When restrictions were imposed on movement due rise in water levels during monsoon I had to go all the way taking my two-wheeler. The bridge is a great boon for us."

Hundreds of people everyday come to the Southern side of Guwahati from North Guwahati to work in the government offices and private firms. Traders come to the whole hub of Fancy to pick up their stocks.

Premier institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) are located in North Guwahati.

Several years ago now Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that he had a dream of making a bridge from this side of Guwahati to North Guwahati.

Mahesh Nath, a businessman who crosses between the two banks said, "Often when you reach the other side North Guwahati one had to take a vehicle to reach the destination. All these troubles are gone now. One does need to wait for the ferry now."

The project was implemented by the Assam PWD with funding from the BRICS New Development Bank. Assam government plans to move government offices to North Guwahati in a move to decongest the city.

Guwahati High Court and several important government offices slated to move to North Guwahati, the new bridge ensures that the northern bank remains seamlessly accessible. A new Gauhati High Court complex has been proposed as part of a judicial township at Rangmahal.

The real estate prices of North Guwahati have soared up. The riverbank on the South front is being developed, and one portion is open to the public. The government plans to extend the riverbank from Kharguli to Khamakhya.