Beyond the Ribbon: Toll Tender Flags the Real Test for Guwahati–North Guwahati Connectivity

The Assam government has moved a step closer to operationalising the long-discussed Guwahati–North Guwahati connectivity project with the Public Works Roads Department (PWRD) issuing a Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) for the construction of a toll plaza linked to the extra-dosed bridge over the Brahmaputra.

Issued by the Chief Engineer, PWRD (EAP), Assam, the tender has been floated under the State’s Own Priority Development (SOPD-G) scheme for 2025–26. The project involves construction of a toll plaza at Chainage 2+800, to be executed on EPC mode, with an estimated cost of ₹6.11 crore, inclusive of taxes.

The stipulated construction period is three months, followed by a 12-month defect notification period. The bidding process will follow a single-stage, two-envelope system and be conducted through the Assam government’s e-tendering portal. While bids will be submitted online, successful bidders will be required to submit original financial instruments and credentials physically at the PWRD office in Guwahati.

Contractors registered with PWRD or the Public Works (Building & NH) Department are eligible, though unregistered bidders may also participate subject to mandatory registration within three months of award.

The tender comes at a time when the Guwahati–North Guwahati bridge and flyover project is expected to enter the public spotlight, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to visit Guwahati on February 14.

According to reports from the ground, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in a Facebook Live from Davos said that the PM is expected to inaugurate the flyover connecting the two banks of the Brahmaputra River and lay the foundation stone of the IIM in Guwahati though this has yet to be confirmed officially.

“The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate multiple projects that would substantially boost connectivity and national security infrastructure,” Sarma said during the interaction.

If the visit becomes a reality, this visit will also entail the inauguration of an advanced landing facility (ALF) located in Moran, which has been developed on a stretch of 4.2 kilometers. This facility will be used not just for civilian aviation but also for Indian Air Force fighter jets, thus confirming the status of dual-purpose facilities that the Centre has sought more often in the planning in the Northeast.

The other sense of movement announced—on the urban mobility front, the higher education front, as well as the aviation infrastructure front—can perhaps best be matched with the tendering of the toll plaza. Planners and users of the road have highlighted the sense of practicality when it comes to the Guwahati-North Guwahati connectivity issue.

"Notably, the issuing of the tender comes as a reminder too that beyond the visible event horizon of the inaugurations in Assam, the true challenge of the infrastructure projects in the state will lie in implementation, regulation, and usage, where the level of public scrutiny will likely be on the higher side."

Also Read: “Who Is Himanta Biswa Sarma?”: A Question Gaurav Gogoi Wants Assam to Ask