Staff Reporter
Guwahati: After the Government of India’s approval of the proposal for a greenfield high-speed corridor from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) to Panchgram (near Silchar), there is now a plan to develop the existing NH stretch from Assam’s Guwahati (near Jorabat) to Barapani (near Mawlyngkhung) in Meghalaya into a 4-lane high-speed corridor with paved shoulder.
The centre had earlier, on April 30, 2025, approved the development, maintenance and management of 166.80 km of National Highway No. 6 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam in hybrid annuity mode as an access-controlled greenfield high-speed corridor at a total capital cost of Rs 22,864 crore. A major part of the project’s total length of 166.80 km lies in Meghalaya (144.80 km), and the other in Assam (22.00 km).
Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has entrusted National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) with preparing a detailed project report for the construction of a 4-lane high-speed corridor with paved shoulder from Jorabat to Barapani by upgrading the existing national highway.
NHIDCL has now invited bids for consultancy services for the preparation of a detailed project report for the proposed high-speed corridor.
The construction work on the proposed high-speed corridor will be undertaken under the Meghalaya NHIDCL office.
According to NHIDCL sources, it has been noticed that there are several sharp curves on the existing stretch from Jorabat to Barapani. The proposed high-speed corridor will eliminate such curves, allowing for a smoother drive for travellers on this stretch. The present travel time from Jorabat to Barapani is around one and a half hours. With the development of this stretch of NH 6, the travel time is expected to be cut down. The tentative length of this stretch will be 65 km.
Preparation of the DPR is expected to be completed within six months after the appointment of the consultancy service provider by NHIDCL.
With the development of the stretch from Jorabat to Barapani (near Mawlyngkhung), the entire stretch of the NH from Guwahati (near Jorabat) to Panchgram (near Silchar) is expected to become a high-speed corridor, cutting down the travel time between the two points.
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