New Guwahati–Tezpur Expressway to Strengthen Assam’s Economy
₹8,970-crore access-controlled corridor to halve travel time, strengthen connectivity across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 18th Aug: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the construction of the 135.87-km four-lane, access-controlled Guwahati–Tezpur Corridor on National Highway-15, a major infrastructure project expected to strengthen Assam’s tea industry, tourism and trade while enhancing connectivity across the Northeast.
The corridor, to be developed at a cost of ₹8,970.20 crore under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model, will connect Baihata Chariali near Guwahati with Tezpur, excluding the 15.11-km Mangaldoi Bypass. The project aims to improve connectivity to key economic, social and logistics centres in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the new highway is expected to double average travel speeds, reduce travel time by nearly 50 per cent, improve fuel efficiency and lower vehicle operating costs. It will also feature five major bypasses covering 58.7 km to decongest Baihata Chariali, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Dekiajuli and Tezpur.
The corridor is expected to significantly benefit Assam’s tea industry by enabling faster, safer and more predictable transportation of tea from plantations and processing units to auction centres and markets. Guwahati, which hosts one of India’s major tea auction centres, is expected to gain from improved freight movement and reduced logistics costs.
Beyond trade, the project is also expected to strengthen tourism by improving access to major destinations such as Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park and Orang National Park, creating stronger tourism circuits across Guwahati, Tezpur and North Assam.
The highway project includes 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, an elephant underpass on the Tezpur Bypass, 46 underpasses and 210 km of service roads to facilitate safe local movement while maintaining access control.
The corridor will connect eight PM GatiShakti economic nodes, two social nodes, three tourist destinations and seven logistics hubs, including three major railway stations, two airports and two inland waterway terminals, strengthening multimodal connectivity in the region.
The project also incorporates a 4.9-km Emergency Landing Facility on the Tezpur Bypass in coordination with the Indian Air Force and is expected to reduce traffic pressure on the existing NH-27 East-West Corridor along the southern bank of the Brahmaputra.
Once completed, the Guwahati–Tezpur Corridor is expected to improve regional mobility, support economic growth, enhance logistics efficiency and provide a major boost to Assam’s tea, tourism and industrial sectors while strengthening connectivity with neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
