The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved the development of a 135.871 km, 4-lane access-controlled corridor along National Highway 15 connecting Guwahati and Tezpur in Assam, at a total investment of ₹8,970.20 crore. The project will be executed on a Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll model and is expected to halve travel time while doubling average speeds on one of the Northeast's busiest arterial routes.

Key Features of the Corridor

The upgraded highway includes the construction of five major bypasses spanning 58.7 km, designed to ease congestion through densely populated towns including Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli, and Tezpur. The project also provides for 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, 46 underpasses, and 210 km of service roads to maintain uninterrupted cross-traffic movement across the access-controlled stretch.

Notably, the project includes an Emergency Landing Facility of 4.9 km within the Tezpur Bypass, developed in coordination with the Indian Air Force — a dual-use infrastructure component that adds strategic value beyond civilian mobility. The corridor also incorporates one elephant underpass in the Tezpur bypass segment, reflecting sensitivity to the region's wildlife corridors.

Decongesting NH-27 and Regional Connectivity

A primary objective of the project is to decongest the existing NH-27 (East-West Corridor) on the south bank of the Brahmaputra River. By providing an alternative, faster route, the new corridor is expected to significantly reduce the load on one of Assam's most traffic-saturated national highways. According to the official statement, the project will increase average travel speeds by 100 per cent, improve road safety, enhance fuel efficiency, and lower vehicle operating costs.

Economic Nodes and Tourism Links

The corridor's alignment connects eight PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes — comprising eight industrial parks — along with two Aspirational Districts (Darrang and Udalguri) and three Tourist Nodes including the Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park, and Orang National Park. Seven logistics nodes — spanning three major railway stations, two airports, and two waterway terminals — will also be integrated, enabling faster movement of goods and passengers across Assam and into Arunachal Pradesh.

What Comes Next

With CCEA approval secured, the project moves toward tendering and financial closure under the BOT toll framework. The highway upgrade is part of a broader Centre push to modernise infrastructure in India's Northeast, a region that has seen accelerated road investment over the past decade. The dual-use emergency landing strip signals that the corridor carries strategic defence significance alongside its economic mandate.