Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Union Cabinet greenlit a massive 135.871-km, four-lane access-controlled highway project on August 6. This corridor connects Guwahati and Tezpur along National Highway-15. It carries a price tag of Rs 8,970.20 crore. The government will use the build-operate-transfer toll model to get it done.
Construction includes a 4.9-km emergency landing facility on the Tezpur bypass. Planners worked alongside the Indian Air Force to secure this capability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the project a major infrastructure push for Assam. He noted the plan will reduce travel time, improve road safety, and ease traffic congestion through specific bypasses at Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli, and Tezpur.
Engineers have a heavy workload ahead. The project plan lists 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, and 46 underpasses. One elephant underpass will also be built on the Tezpur bypass. Officials expect this work to double average travel speeds. It should cut transit times by half. The corridor aims to boost regional mobility while trimming vehicle operating costs.
The upgraded route links vital spots in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It ties into eight PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including industrial parks. It covers two aspirational districts, Darrang and Udalguri. Travelers gain better access to three major tourist destinations: Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park, and Orang National Park. The road also hits seven logistics hubs, featuring three railway stations, two airports, and two inland waterway terminals.
Congestion relief remains a primary goal. The new highway will divert traffic away from the existing NH-27, which currently serves as part of the East-West Corridor on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. The Cabinet also approved the GOBARdhan scheme on the same day, set to drive investment in compressed biogas production.
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