Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The union cabinet today approved the construction of the 135-km four-lane national highway stretch from Baihata Chariali to Tezpur, with a cost of Rs 8,970 crore. The project envisages the construction of an emergency landing facility (ELF).
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the development of a 135.871 km, 4-lane access-controlled Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor of NH-15 in Assam. The project will be developed on Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll Mode.
According to official sources, the project includes building a 4.9 km Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Tezpur Bypass, which was planned with the Indian Air Force and it will help reduce traffic on the existing NH-27 (East West Corridor) south of the Brahmaputra River. The project includes construction of five major bypasses, thereby easing congestion on stretches passing through densely populated areas such as Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dhekiajuli, and Tezpur.
In addition, the project has provision for 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, and an elephant underpass (in the Tezpur bypass stretch). As part of the project, forty-six underpasses and 19 flyovers will be constructed, along with 210 km of service roads, to maintain cross-movement of traffic, as the project is designed to be access-controlled.
Prime Minister Modi posted about the Cabinet decision on his X handle, which read, "A major boost to connectivity and growth in Assam! The Cabinet has approved a 4-lane access-controlled Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor of NH-15. The project will reduce travel time, improve road safety and ease congestion through major bypasses at various locations. It will also include an Emergency Landing Facility at Tezpur, along with bridges, flyovers, underpasses and service roads. The corridor will strengthen seamless connectivity across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh."
Sources indicate that the project will ensure seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes throughout Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Today's decision is another powerful affirmation that Assam's infrastructure transformation is well underway, and the best is yet to come. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for approving this NH project. Taken together, the project is not a standalone investment. This is part of a clear national vision to build a world-class infrastructure network across Assam, one that will reshape mobility and unlock unprecedented economic opportunities."
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