The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved the construction of a 135.87-km four-lane access-controlled Guwahati–Tezpur corridor on National Highway-15 in Assam at an estimated cost of ₹8,970.20 crore.
The project, stretching from Baihata Chariali near Guwahati to Tezpur, excluding the 15.11-km Mangaldoi Bypass, will be developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model as part of the National Highways (Original) programme.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), the new corridor is expected to significantly improve connectivity across Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh while reducing travel time, easing congestion and strengthening the region’s transport infrastructure.
A key feature of the project is the construction of a 4.9-km Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Tezpur Bypass, planned in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF). The facility will also help decongest the existing NH-27 East-West Corridor on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River.
The highway project includes the construction of five major bypasses with a combined length of 58.7 km, aimed at diverting traffic away from densely populated urban stretches. The bypasses will ease congestion in Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli and Tezpur.
The proposed corridor will also include 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, 46 underpasses and an elephant underpass on the Tezpur Bypass to facilitate wildlife movement. In addition, around 210 km of service roads will be constructed to maintain local connectivity and ensure smooth cross-traffic movement along the access-controlled highway.
MoRTH said the upgraded corridor is expected to double average travel speeds and cut travel time by nearly half, while improving road safety, enhancing fuel efficiency and reducing vehicle operating costs. These improvements are expected to boost regional mobility and contribute to socio-economic development in the Northeast.
The project is also designed to strengthen connectivity with key economic and strategic locations. It will provide improved access to eight PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including industrial parks, two aspirational districts—Darrang and Udalguri—along with major tourist destinations such as the Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park and Orang National Park.
In addition, the corridor will improve connectivity to seven logistics hubs, comprising three major railway stations, two airports and two inland waterway terminals, facilitating faster movement of passengers and freight across the region.
The Ministry said the project will play an important role in improving transport efficiency, promoting economic activity and supporting the overall development of Assam and the wider northeastern region.
