Overview
- District and railway officials announced the two-month maintenance programme in early July to address structural problems on the six-decade-old rail-cum-road bridge.
- Several reports say the bridge will be fully shut from July 13, but one account limits restrictions to heavy vehicles from July 16, creating a clear discrepancy about the exact start and scope of the closure.
- All vehicular traffic will be routed mainly over the four-lane new Saraighat Bridge, with heavy vehicles to be stopped or diverted at points such as Baihata Chariali, Tezpur and Kaliabor as part of the plan.
- Traffic police will enforce measures on the new bridge including installing dividers, banning overtaking and prohibiting parking on key stretches to manage two-way flow and reduce congestion.
- Officials warned commuters to expect delays, advised time-sensitive travellers to plan extra buffer time, and said the old bridge is expected to reopen on September 15 if repairs finish as scheduled.