Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks during a cabinet briefing in New Delhi on Thursday

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The centre has approved the development of a 135.871-km four-lane access-controlled Guwahati-Tezpur corridor on national highway-15 in Assam at an estimated cost of ₹8,970.20 crore.The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday.The project will be developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll mode under the national highways (original) programme.The project, CCEA said, includes the construction of a 4.9-km ‘Emergency Landing Facility’ (ELF) on the Tezpur bypass, which has been finalised in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF).According to the CCEA, the corridor is expected to decongest the existing NH-27 east-west corridor on the southern side of the Brahmaputra river while improving regional connectivity across Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.Besides, the project includes the construction of five major bypasses spanning 58.7 km to ease traffic congestion in densely populated areas, including Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli and Tezpur.Furthermore, the approved alignment provides for the construction of 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, one elephant underpass on the Tezpur bypass, 46 underpasses and around 210 km of service roads to facilitate local traffic movement along the access-controlled corridor.The project, CCEA said, is expected to double average travel speeds and reduce travel time by nearly half while improving road safety, enhancing fuel efficiency and lowering vehicle operating costs.Additionally, the corridor is expected to strengthen regional mobility and support socio-economic development by improving connectivity to key economic, social and logistics hubs across the region.As per the approved proposal, the upgraded highway will provide connectivity to eight PM Gati Shakti economic nodes comprising industrial parks; two social nodes covering the aspirational districts of Darrang and Udalguri; three tourist destinations including Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park and Orang National Park; and seven logistics nodes comprising three major railway stations, two airports and two waterway terminals.Published on August 6, 2026