The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a four-lane, access-controlled greenfield corridor between Gohpur on NH-15 and Numaligarh on NH-715 in Assam. The project includes a 15 km road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra river and will be built at a total capital cost of ₹18,662 crore.
At present, the distance between Numaligarh and Gohpur is about 240 km via the Kaliabhomora bridge near Silghat on NH-52. The journey takes nearly six hours and passes through Numaligarh, the Kaziranga National Park and Biswanath town.
The new project is designed to:
Cut travel time sharply between the two points
Decongest existing routes
Improve freight efficiency across the region
The tunnel will be India’s first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel and only the second such project globally.
The corridor will integrate with:
NH-15 and NH-715
The Rangia–Mukongselek railway section under the Northeast Frontier Railway’s Rangia Division (Gohpur side)
The Furkating–Mariani loop line under the Tinsukia Division (Numaligarh side)
It is expected to significantly benefit Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other northeastern states by:
Reducing logistics costs
Strengthening multimodal transport
Enhancing access to key economic and social centres
The alignment connects 11 economic nodes, three social nodes, two tourist hubs and eight logistics nodes. It will also improve connectivity to four major railway stations, two airports and two inland waterways.
Once completed, the tunnel is expected to play a key role in strategic mobility and regional development, while opening up fresh opportunities for trade and industrial growth.
The project is projected to generate around 80 lakh person-days of direct and indirect employment, boosting local economic activity during construction.
In a separate decision, the Cabinet committee has approved the widening of NH-167 from Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar on the Hyderabad–Panaji Economic Corridor in Telangana.
Key details:
Project length: 80 km
Capital cost: ₹3,175 crore
Execution mode: Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the NH(O) scheme
The stretch currently suffers from poor road geometry and congestion, particularly through towns such as Gudebellur, Magnoor, Makthal, Marikal, Devarkadra, Jaklair, Yeligandla and Banderpally.
The four-lane upgrade is expected to:
Ease traffic bottlenecks
Improve freight movement
Reduce travel time
Support socio-economic growth in Narayanpet and Mahabubnagar districts
Together, the two projects signal a strong push towards infrastructure-led growth, with a special focus on strategic connectivity and logistics efficiency in the Northeast and southern corridors.
