The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved the development of the 135.871-km, four-lane access-controlled Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor on NH-15 in Assam. The project will be developed under the Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model at a total capital cost of Rs 8,970.20 crore under the National Highways (Original) programme.
Emergency landing facility planned
According to the CCEA, the project includes the construction of a 4.9-km Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Tezpur Bypass, finalised in coordination with the Indian Air Force. The corridor is also expected to decongest the existing NH-27 (East-West Corridor) on the southern side of the Brahmaputra River.
Major bypasses and bridges
The project includes the construction of five major bypasses spanning 58.7 km, easing traffic congestion through densely populated towns including Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli and Tezpur. The highway will also feature 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, 46 underpasses, one elephant underpass on the Tezpur Bypass, and around 210 km of service roads to facilitate local traffic movement along the access-controlled corridor.
Travel time to be halved
The government said the new corridor would double average travel speeds and reduce travel time by nearly 50 per cent. It is also expected to improve road safety, enhance fuel efficiency and lower vehicle operating costs. According to the CCEA, the project will significantly improve regional mobility while supporting economic and social development across Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
Boost to regional connectivity
The upgraded corridor will provide seamless connectivity to key economic, social and logistics hubs in the region. It will connect eight PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes (industrial parks), two social nodes in the aspirational districts of Darrang and Udalguri, three major tourist destinations — Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park and Orang National Park — and seven logistics nodes comprising three major railway stations, two airports and two inland waterway terminals. The government said the improved connectivity is expected to facilitate faster movement of both passengers and freight, strengthening trade and tourism across the Northeast.