The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the development of a 135.871-km four-lane access-controlled Guwahati–Tezpur Corridor on National Highway-15 in Assam. The project will be developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll mode at an estimated capital cost of Rs 8,970.20 crore under the National Highways (Original) programme.
The proposed corridor aims to strengthen road connectivity between Guwahati and Tezpur while improving transportation infrastructure across the region. A key feature of the project is the construction of a 4.9-km Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Tezpur Bypass. The facility has been finalised in coordination with the Indian Air Force and is expected to serve strategic as well as transportation requirements.
The project also includes the construction of five major bypasses covering a total length of 58.7 km. These bypasses are expected to ease traffic congestion in densely populated areas, including Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli and Tezpur.
As part of the infrastructure development, the corridor will feature 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, 46 underpasses and one elephant underpass on the Tezpur Bypass to facilitate safe wildlife movement. In addition, around 210 km of service roads will be constructed to ensure smooth local traffic movement, as the highway is being developed as an access-controlled corridor.
According to the government, the project is expected to double average travel speeds and reduce travel time between Guwahati and Tezpur by nearly half. It is also expected to improve road safety, enhance fuel efficiency and lower vehicle operating costs, contributing to better regional mobility and socio-economic development.
The corridor will provide seamless connectivity to important economic, social and logistics hubs across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It will improve access to eight PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes, including industrial parks, two aspirational districts of Darrang and Udalguri, and key tourist destinations such as Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park and Orang National Park.
The upgraded highway will also strengthen connectivity to seven major logistics nodes, including three major railway stations, two airports and two inland waterway terminals, enabling faster movement of passengers and goods across the Northeast.
