Union Cabinet Approves Major Guwahati-Tezpur Highway Project
Significant Infrastructure Development in Assam
The proposed four-laning project from Baihata Chariali to Mission Chariali. (Photo: @NHAI_Official / X)
Guwahati, Aug 6: The Union Cabinet has given the green light for the construction of a 135.87-kilometer, four-lane access-controlled corridor connecting Guwahati and Tezpur along National Highway-15, with an estimated budget of Rs 8,970.20 crore.
An official announcement revealed that this corridor will be developed using the build-operate-transfer (BOT) toll model, aiming to significantly reduce travel time and enhance connectivity on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River.
The initiative includes a 4.9-kilometer emergency landing facility (ELF) on the Tezpur bypass, which is being coordinated with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
In addition to bolstering strategic infrastructure, this corridor is anticipated to alleviate congestion on the existing NH-27 (East-West Corridor) situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra.
The highway will incorporate five major bypasses at Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli, and Tezpur, designed to minimize traffic congestion in heavily populated regions.
The project will also feature 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, 46 underpasses, and an elephant underpass on the Tezpur bypass to support wildlife movement.
In response to the Cabinet's approval, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet for endorsing what he termed a transformative infrastructure initiative for Assam.
"On behalf of the people of Assam, I extend my sincere thanks to the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the approval of the Rs 8,970 crore Baihata Chariali-Tezpur Highway," Sarma stated in a social media update.
He emphasized that this approval should be seen in conjunction with other significant infrastructure projects recently sanctioned for Assam, such as the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, the Guwahati Ring Road, the Silchar Expressway, and the Gohpur-Numaligarh underwater tunnel.
According to Sarma, "These investments are not isolated; they form part of a comprehensive national vision aimed at establishing a world-class infrastructure network throughout Assam, which will transform mobility and create unparalleled economic opportunities."
The government anticipates that the project will double average travel speeds, cut travel time in half, enhance road safety, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce vehicle operating costs, thereby fostering regional mobility and socio-economic growth.
The upgraded corridor will also enhance connectivity to vital economic, social, and logistics hubs across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
It will connect eight PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including industrial parks, two aspirational districts—Darrang and Udalguri—three major tourist attractions, namely Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park, and Orang National Park, as well as seven logistics nodes, which include key railway stations, airports, and inland waterway terminals.