Assam CM inaugurates new flyover in Guwahati named after Mahabharata era king Bhagadatta, completed in 9 months against estimated 18 months

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday evening inaugurated new flyover in Guwahati. The four-lane, 660 metre flyover has been constructed to remove traffic congestion on GS Road in the Rukminigaon area of the city, and is between the existing flyovers at Super Market and Six Mile.

Notably, a day ahead of the inauguration, the government decided to name two flyovers in the area, the new one along with the Supermarket flyover, after Maharabharat era king Bhagadatta. The old flyover has named Bhagadatta 1, while the new one will be called Bhagadatta 2.

What's stopping Assam from building flyovers like this in a year?

Oh we did it in 9 months

Opening Tomorrow: Bhagadatta Flyover, Kamrupá pic.twitter.com/CRLFxvOTiL

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 5, 2025

Talking about the decision, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “King Bhagadatta, son of Narakasura, was a king of ancient Kamrup. There has been a long-standing demand from the Kalita community to honour him. These names will serve as a tribute to our glorious past while also serving present-day commuters.”

Bhagadatta was the son of Asura king Narakasura, who had established the kingdom of Pragjyotishpur. After he was killed by Krishna, his son Bhagadatta succeeded him. Bhagadatta is most famous for taking part in the Kurukshetra War in Mahabharata from the side of Kauravas. As per the epic, he had contributed one Akshauhini of the troops, including a big contingent of elephants.

King Bhagadatta had killed several major warriors from the Pandavas side, before he was eventually killed by Arjuna. Bhagadatta’s son Vajradatta became the king of Pragjyotisha after his death. Apart from Mahabharata, legends of Narakasura and Bhagadatta are also narrated in Kalika Purana, Harshacharita, and other Puranas and scriptures.

Bhagadatta 2 flyover is a testament to the current BJP government’s accelerated push toward urban transformation, as it was completed in record nine months. As per the tender document, the project was to be completed in 18 months, but it was completed in half the period. The work started in the last part of September 2024, and was completed by the end of June 2025.

The project costing around ₹112 crore was undertaken by local contractor Anil Das under the guidance of Assam PWD. Of the total cost, ₹88 crore was allocated for core construction, while the remaining amount went toward finishing works and allied infrastructure.

The flyover crosses over the stretch of GS Road passing through the Rukminigaon point, which gets flooded every time it rains in the area. The place also sees bumper to bumper traffic around the year, and is expected to provide much needed relief to commuters. There are be parking facilities beneath the flyover and streetlights on top.

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