India has built long bridges across major rivers, lakes and coastal waters to improve road and railway connectivity. These structures reduce detours, support trade and connect regions that once depended heavily on ferries or congested routes.
It’s longest bridges are important parts of the country’s transport network. They cross wide rivers, lakes and coastal stretches, shorten difficult journeys and connect major cities, ports and remote regions. Some carry only road traffic, while others combine road and railway movement.
This 2026 list focuses on completed and operational bridges and uses commonly reported structural lengths. Projects that are complete but not yet fully opened to through traffic are not included.
1. Atal Setu – 21.8 km
Atal Setu, officially the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, links Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. Opened in January 2024, it is India’s longest bridge and also its longest sea bridge.
- Location: Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Length: About 21.8 km, including around 16.5 km over the sea and 5.5 km on land.
- Type: Six-lane road bridge.
- Connects: Sewri in Mumbai with Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai.
- Importance: It provides faster access towards Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Navi Mumbai and routes leading towards Pune, Goa and southern India.
- Key feature: Its large sea-crossing section makes it one of India’s most significant recent urban transport projects.
2. Bhupen Hazarika Setu – 9.15 km
Also known as the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge, Bhupen Hazarika Setu crosses the Lohit River and provides a permanent road connection between upper Assam and eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
- Location: Assam, close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.
- Length: 9.15 km.
- Type: Road bridge.
- Opened: May 2017.
- Connects: Dhola in Tinsukia district with the Sadiya side.
- Importance: It reduced dependence on ferry crossings and significantly improved access between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Strategic feature: The bridge was designed to carry heavy military vehicles, including 60-tonne tanks.
3. Dibang River Bridge – 6.2 km
The Dibang River Bridge is a long road bridge in Arunachal Pradesh. Completed in 2018, it forms part of the Trans-Arunachal Highway and provides all-weather connectivity in a region where river crossings were once difficult.
- Location: Arunachal Pradesh.
- Length: 6.2 km.
- Type: Road beam bridge.
- Crosses: Dibang River.
- Connects: Bomjir and Malek areas, improving movement between Dambuk and Roing.
- Importance: It supports everyday travel in eastern Arunachal Pradesh and strengthens access to remote districts.
- Strategic value: The bridge also improves road connectivity towards sensitive border areas.
4. Bandra-Worli Sea Link – 5.6 km
The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is one of Mumbai’s best-known road bridges. It created an additional north-south road connection between the western suburbs and the island city.
- Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Length: About 5.6 km.
- Type: Eight-lane cable-stayed road bridge.
- Opened: In phases from 2009.
- Connects: Bandra with Worli.
- Importance: It provides an alternative to the congested Mahim Causeway and reduces travel delays on a busy Mumbai corridor.
- Key feature: Its cable-stayed sections and sea setting have made it a major landmark of Mumbai’s transport infrastructure.
5. Mahatma Gandhi Setu – 5.575 km
Mahatma Gandhi Setu crosses the Ganga between Patna and Hajipur in Bihar. For many years, it was one of India’s longest and most important river bridges.
- Location: Bihar.
- Length: About 5.575 km.
- Type: Road bridge.
- Opened: 1982.
- Connects: Patna on the south bank with Hajipur on the north bank.
- Importance: It is a major link between north and south Bihar and carries heavy regional traffic.
- Modernisation: The ageing superstructure underwent major rehabilitation, with steel trusses replacing older concrete components.
6. Bogibeel Bridge – 4.94 km
Bogibeel Bridge is a double-deck rail-cum-road bridge across the Brahmaputra in Assam. It is the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India.
- Location: Assam.
- Length: 4.94 km.
- Type: Rail-cum-road bridge.
- Opened: December 2018.
- Connects: Dibrugarh and Dhemaji sides of the Brahmaputra.
- Layout: Road traffic runs on the upper deck, while railway tracks are carried below.
- Importance: It greatly improved travel between upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and strengthened freight and defence movement in the region.
7. Vembanad Rail Bridge – 4.62 km
Vembanad Rail Bridge in Kerala crosses Vembanad Lake and forms an important freight railway connection to the Vallarpadam container terminal near Kochi.
- Location: Kochi, Kerala.
- Length: About 4.62 km.
- Type: Railway bridge.
- Opened: 2011.
- Crosses: Vembanad Lake.
- Purpose: It connects the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam with the railway network.
- Importance: The bridge supports container and freight movement and reduces dependence on road transport for port-related cargo.
8. Digha-Sonpur Bridge – 4.556 km
Digha-Sonpur Bridge, commonly called J.P. Setu, is a rail-cum-road bridge across the Ganga in Bihar. It provides both road and railway connectivity between Patna and Sonpur.
- Location: Patna-Sonpur, Bihar.
- Length: 4.556 km.
- Type: Rail-cum-road steel truss bridge.
- Rail service: Began in 2016.
- Road opening: 2017.
- Connects: Digha in Patna with Sonpur in Saran district.
- Importance: It created another major Ganga crossing near Patna and helped reduce pressure on older transport routes.
9. Vikramshila Setu – 4.367 km
Vikramshila Setu is an important road bridge over the Ganga near Bhagalpur. It links the Bhagalpur side with Naugachia and serves traffic moving between north and south-eastern Bihar.
- Location: Bhagalpur, Bihar.
- Length: About 4.367 km for the existing bridge.
- Type: Two-lane road bridge.
- Opened: 2001.
- Connects: Bhagalpur with Naugachia and routes towards north Bihar.
- Importance: It carries significant passenger and freight traffic across the Ganga.
- Current context: A separate four-lane bridge is being built parallel to it to handle growing traffic, but that project is not yet complete.
10. Arrah-Chhapra Bridge – 4.35 km
Arrah-Chhapra Bridge, officially Veer Kunwar Singh Setu, is a road bridge across the Ganga in Bihar. It provides a direct connection between the Bhojpur and Saran regions.
- Location: Bihar.
- Length: About 4.35 km.
- Type: Road bridge.
- Opened: June 2017.
- Connects: Arrah side in Bhojpur district with the Chhapra side in Saran district.
- Importance: It shortened road journeys between parts of north and south Bihar.
- Regional benefit: The bridge provides an alternative Ganga crossing and helps distribute traffic away from routes through Patna.
How This 2026 Ranking Is Prepared
Bridge rankings can vary because some sources count only the main structure, while others include viaducts, approaches or the entire project corridor. This list uses the commonly reported bridge length and includes only bridges considered operational for the relevant route. The Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur bridge in Bihar is not placed in the ranking because, as of September 2026, the full Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur through connection has not been confirmed as fully open to public traffic.
Conclusion
These bridges show how major crossings can change everyday travel as well as freight and regional connectivity. Atal Setu leads the 2026 list by a wide margin, while bridges in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar and Kerala remain vital links across difficult rivers and water bodies. As new projects become operational, the ranking will continue to change.
