Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The central government is undertaking an ambitious plan to construct a four-lane access-controlled high-speed corridor starting from Siliguri in West Bengal to Guwahati in Assam, connecting Jorabat. This is part of the Government of India’s focus on upgrading connectivity with the Northeast from West Bengal, with special emphasis on the Chicken’s Neck in North Bengal, the only means of road communication between the landlocked Northeast and the mainland of India.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has entrusted National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) with preparing the detailed project report of the planned high-speed corridor. After receiving MoRTH’s nod, the NHIDCL has now invited bids for consultancy services for the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of a 4-lane access-controlled high-speed corridor starting from Siliguri to Guwahati and connecting Jorabat in the states of West Bengal and Assam, with a tentative length of 400 km.
According to NHIDCL sources, this is part of a concept of a high-speed corridor from Siliguri to Guwahati and onwards to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. Accordingly, the DPR is being prepared for the stretch from Siliguri to Guwahati to turn the concept into reality.
MoRTH has expressed its preference for constructing the high-speed corridor on the north bank of the Brahmaputra. But the final decision on the alignment of the expressway will be based on the DPR prepared for the same. A question also arises as to whether the proposed corridor will form part of the existing East-West corridor passing through Guwahati or a greenfield project. The answer to this question will be provided once the DPR is prepared. The target for completing the preparation of the DPR is 12 months.
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