Guwahati-Silchar expressway to cut travel time to 5 Hours; ₹22,000-crore project set to transform Northeast connectivity

The 166.8-km Guwahati–Silchar Expressway will reduce travel time to just five hours, boosting connectivity, trade and tourism across Assam and Northeast India with a high-speed greenfield highway.

Travel across Northeast India is all set to change with the development of the Guwahati-Silchar Expressway. The proposed high-speed expressway corridor that will pass through Assam and some parts of Meghalaya aims to connect Silchar to Guwahati – the gateway to Northeast India.

Capable of cutting down the road journey between the two cities from nearly 8-9 hours to five hours, the 166.8 kilometre-long access-controlled expressway will help improve connectivity.

Major Undertaking Spanning Northeast

Costing approximately ₹22,864 crore, Guwahati-Silchar Expressway is expected to be a four-lane greenfield highway built parallel to National Highway-6. Speaking at the event on Friday, PM Modi stated that this was another major step towards developing road infrastructure in the Northeast region.

“The 166-km long Guwahati-Silchar Expressway is being built at a cost of about ₹22,864 crore. It will pass through several districts of Assam and Meghalaya,” PM Modi said.

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Spread across several districts, the expressway will travel from Mawlyngkhung near Shillong in Meghalaya all the way to Panchgram near Silchar town in Assam.

Connecting key districts like West Khasi Hills, East Jaintia Hills, West Garo Hills in Meghalaya and Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, Hailakandi in Assam, the corridor will bolster economic linkages.

The Economic Times quoted Jaskirat Singh Sahiansh, Assam chief secretary, as saying that the expressway will be a “new lifeline” connecting the Brahmaputra Valley with Barak Valley as most of the journey between the two valleys is currently longer via landslide-hit roads.

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Reduced Travel Time, Minimise Roadblocks

In addition to drastically reducing travel time between Guwahati and Silchar cities, officials have also claimed that the corridor will reduce the distance between several points of Northeast India.

Currently, Silchar to Guwahati by road takes 8.5 hours on NH-6 which is prone to landslides during the monsoon months. While the new expressway will have several underpasses and overpasses to maintain its movement, NH-6 is known to halt for days on end when landslide-prone roads are blocked.

Facilitating Industry, Tourism and Movement

Analysts have also stated that projects like the Guwahati-Silchar Expressway will facilitate growth in several industries and catalyse the tourist movement in the region. As towns like Guwahati, Silchar and Shillong will be better-connected by road, people can travel to and from the Northeast’s premier airports conveniently and with ease.

Better connectivity might also mean more tourists flying into the region and driving down south to explore hidden pockets in states like Meghalaya and Assam. Industries situated in Meghalaya’s cement belt and coal belt may also find it easier to ship goods and be accessed by clients in shorter amounts of time.

Game-Changer Highway for North-East

The Guwahati–Silchar Expressway is set to become one of the most important roads in the North East region of India as per several infrastructure analysts. Northeast India is known for its difficult terrains and weather which can often hamper movement and networks.

Not only will the new expressway cut down travel time by a few hours, but it will also play a pivotal role in better connecting people living in remote districts.

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