Four-lane greenfield expressway to have 19 major and 153 minor bridges
Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) has been entrusted by the Government of India to execute the work on the 166.80 km High-Speed Corridor from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam. The proposed four-lane greenfield expressway will comprise 19 major bridges and 153 minor bridges.
A greenfield project refers to a new construction or development project undertaken on undeveloped land or a site with no prior infrastructure or constraints. It's essentially starting from scratch.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposed Rs 22,864-crore greenfield High Speed Shillong-Silchar Corridor.
According to NHIDCL sources, the proposed expressway's 144.80 km stretch in Meghalaya will cross the districts of Ri-Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, and East Jaintia Hills. Work on this stretch will be executed by the regional office of NHIDCL, Shillong. The 22-km stretch of the expressway in Assam will be in Cachar district, and the work on this stretch will be executed by the regional office of NHIDCL, Guwahati.
Of the total capital cost of Rs 22,864 crore to be incurred on the project, the total civil cost will be Rs 12,087 crore, and the land acquisition cost is estimated at Rs 3,503 crore.
The proposed High-Speed Corridor will include 56 Vehicular Under Pass, Vehicular Over Pass and limited-height subways. There will also be 34 viaducts, 326 culverts, and 150 km of RCC-covered drains.
The expressway will also have 6 Truck Lay Byes and 28 Bus Bays, with service roads or slip roads with a length of 16.32 km. The proposed expressway has been designed for vehicles to travel at a speed of 80-100 km/hr.
Post-approval by the Union Cabinet, the NHIDCL will now float tenders for the project titled '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 on Hybrid Annuity Mode as 4-lane access-controlled greenfield High-Speed Corridor.'
At present, the connectivity between Guwahati and Silchar is either through the East-West Corridor (NH-27) or through the existing 2-lane NH-6 via Jorabat-Jowai-Ratacherra. However, Guwahati-Shillong-Silchar, being the shortest route, is preferred by traffic. The primary goal of the proposed project is to provide high-speed connectivity between Guwahati and Silchar, which provides the gateway to Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. The existing 2-lane NH-6 with paved shoulder between Shillong and Silchar faces significant congestion due to dense urban areas and high traffic volumes. The proposed project provides an optimized greenfield alignment, ensuring better access to key highways and reducing travel time and costs.
The project alignment integrates with major transport corridors, including NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, and NH-37, providing seamless connectivity to Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Diengpasoh, Ummulong, Phramer, Khlieriat, Ratachera, Umkiang, Kalain, etc.
Upon completion, the Shillong-Silchar High-Speed Corridor will play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, improving connectivity between Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala. The project aligns with the government's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, enhancing infrastructure while generating employment and fostering socio-economic development in the NE states of Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Shillong-Silchar High-Speed Corridor is aimed at reducing the distance between Guwahati and Silchar by 25% to 245 km and to reduce the journey time from about 9 hrs to 5 hrs.
Also read: Assam: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Meets NHIDCL Chief Dr Krishan Kumar
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