Assam: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Announces Rs 55,000 Crore for National Highway Projects

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on the occasion of the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit, said that construction work on NHs worth Rs 80,000 crore is slated to start soon. Gadkari announced details of work worth over Rs 55,000 crore being implemented in Assam.

Due to his inability to physically attend the summit, as he is in Spain at the moment, Gadkari shared a video message as part of the session titled ‘Assam’s Road, Railway, and Riverine Infrastructure: India’s Expressway to Development of NER and ASEAN countries’ today, on the second and final day of the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit.

In his video message, Union Minister Gadkari said, “The Guwahati Ring Road project worth Rs 5,800 crore is in the works. As part of the project, a 55-km stretch of NH will be converted from a 4- to 6-lane one. This stretch will be completed by December 2027. Another 55 km of the project—from Baihata Chariali to Sonapur, via Narengi, including a 3-km 6-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River between Kuruwa and Narengi—is a greenfield project. Regarding this project, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma discussed the project with me several times. Today, I am announcing that all formalities about the project are already done. The bidding process is over, and we have identified the eligible bidder who will be awarded the project. So, I request the Chief Minister to invite Adarniya PM to perform Bhumi Pujan for this.”

On the Guwahati-Silchar greenfield corridor, Gadkari said, “This road from Guwahati to Silchar, via Barapani, will be constructed at a cost of Rs 25,000 crores. The project will be awarded by July 2025. After the completion of the project, it will take between four and a half to five hours to traverse the road from Guwahati to Silchar. Currently, it takes around 10 hours to complete the journey.”

Regarding the Gohpur-Numaligarh tunnel under the Brahmaputra River, the Union Minister said, “The Numaligarh-Gohpur underwater tunnel will cost Rs 15,000 crore. This will be a four-lane tunnel, and all the formalities are already done. Today, I officially announce Rs 15,000 crore for this project. The work will be awarded by July 2025. The 12.5 km-long twin-tube tunnel will be built at a depth of 40 metre below the riverbed. At present, it takes around 6 hours to travel from Numaligarh to Gohpur, on the north bank of the river. After the tunnel is completed, the journey will take just 25 minutes. This will be a new achievement on the horizon for Assam’s connectivity.”

Talking about the elevated corridor near Kaziranga National Park, Gadkari said, “This will be an important destination for tourists from across the globe. We will spend nearly Rs 6,000 crore on the project, which will comprise 35 km of elevated road and 50 km of a four-lane road. Of the 35 km elevated road, the first part will be 18 km in length for unhindered movement of rhinos, the second portion will be 11.5 km for tigers, and a 5.5 km portion will be for elephants.”

The minister also explained that sound-proof equipment will be used for the construction of the elevated portions of the NH so that no disturbance is caused to wildlife in KNP.

He further stated that a road from Morigaon to Dalgaon will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3250 crore. The 40 km road will also include a 9.41 km bridge over the Brahmaputra. The current road is 181 km in length, and once the new road is completed, the distance will be cut down by 140 km. The journey from Morigaon to Dalgaon will then take just 50 minutes, he added.

On the proposed 1.43 km ropeway to Kamakhya Temple, the Union Minister stated that the project is in the bidding stage and suggested to the Chief Minister that the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ can be done for launching the project. Finally, he stated, “I and my ministry are always with Assam.”

Speaking in the session, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state has undergone a remarkable transformation in infrastructure and connectivity. He said that the state must embark on a new path that is realistic, futuristic, and pragmatic. With immense capabilities and resources, Assam has the potential to transform aspirations of the people into achievements, he said. The Chief Minister said that every year, the state is making around 25,000 crore in capital investments, and this year it will surpass that. He said the state government is increasing capital investments every year by 10%.

“It is our aim to connect Jagiroad with Bhutan without passing through Guwahati. This will benefit not only Assam but also the neighbouring country of Bhutan,” the CM asserted.

Notably, High Commissioner of Singapore Simon Wong, Minister for PWD Roads, etc., Krishnendu Paul, Chairman of Inland Waterway Authority of India Vijay Kumar, General Manager of North East Frontier Railway, Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, and private stakeholders were present in the session.

Also Read: Advantage Assam 2.0: New Opportunities for Investment in Assam’s Tea Industry Discussed

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