The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved the development of a 135.871 km, 4-lane access-controlled Guwahati-Tezpur corridor of National Highway 15 in Assam, with the project to be developed on Built-Operate -Transfer (BOT) toll mode with a total investment of Rs 8,970.20 crore.
The project, which also envisages the construction of an Emergency Landing Facility of 4.9 km in Tezpur Bypass, as finalised in coordination with the Indian Air Force, would decongest the existing NH-27 (East West Corridor) on the south side of the Brahmaputra River.
The project includes construction of five major bypasses of 58.7 km length, which will ease congestion on stretches passing through densely populated areas such as Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli, and Tezpur, according to an official statement.
In addition, the project has provision for 15 major ridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, and one elephant underpass (in Tezpur bypass). As many as 46 underpasses and 19 flyovers with 210 km of service roads will also be constructed as part of the project to maintain cross movement of the traffic as the project is proposed to be developed as an access-controlled corridor, the statement said.
The project will increase average travel speeds by 100 per cent, reduce travel time to half, improve overall road safety, enhance fuel efficiency, and lower vehicle operating costs, thereby enhancing regional mobility and socio-economic development.
The project will provide seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Additionally, the upgraded corridor will enhance connectivity to eight PM Gati-Shakti Economic Nodes (8 Industrial Parks), two Social Nodes (two Aspirational districts of Darrang and Udalguri), three Tourist Nodes (Maa Kamakhaya Temple, Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park) and seven Logistic Nodes comprising three major railway stations, two airports and two waterway terminals, which will facilitate faster movement of goods and passengers across the region, the statement added.
