Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Assam in March to lay the foundation stone for the ambitious Silchar–Shillong–Guwahati high-speed corridor, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday (15 February). The project, backed by a substantial investment of Rs 22,864 crore, is expected to significantly transform regional connectivity.
Speaking at a press conference, Sarma said the high-speed corridor aims to drastically cut travel time between Silchar and Guwahati, bringing it down to approximately 4.5 to 5 hours. The improved route is expected to offer faster, smoother and more reliable road travel across the challenging terrain of the Northeast.
The Chief Minister noted that the high-speed corridor was originally cleared by the Union Cabinet in April last year, underlining its importance within the Centre’s broader infrastructure push. The development, he said, represents a major milestone for Assam and neighbouring states that depend heavily on road connectivity.
At the heart of the project is a 166.80-km stretch of National Highway 06, running from Mawlyngkhung near Shillong in Meghalaya to Panchgram near Silchar in Assam. The corridor will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), a public–private partnership model designed to accelerate execution while ensuring long-term maintenance.
Of the total length, 144.80 km will lie within Meghalaya, while the remaining 22 km will fall in Assam. Officials have described the corridor as an access-controlled, greenfield high-speed route, meaning it will be constructed as a new alignment with controlled entry and exit points to enhance safety and efficiency.
Beyond reducing travel time, the corridor is expected to play a crucial role in strengthening connectivity between mainland India and key parts of the Northeast. Sarma emphasised that the upgraded route will improve access to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the Barak Valley region, substantially reducing travel distances and logistics constraints.
The announcement comes amid a broader wave of infrastructure commitments for Assam. Following the Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit, the Union government assured the implementation of projects valued at Rs 80,000 crore. According to Sarma, approvals have already been secured for projects worth Rs 55,000 crore.
Highlighting parallel initiatives, the Chief Minister pointed to the proposed Kamakhya ropeway project, which will connect the railway station directly to the Kamakhya Temple. The ropeway is expected to ease traffic congestion while improving convenience for thousands of devotees and tourists visiting the temple annually.
Sarma also referenced a major decision taken last week by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs, which sanctioned a twin-tube underwater road-cum-rail tunnel on the Brahmaputra River. The project, estimated at Rs 18,662 crore, will connect Numaligarh and Gohpur, further strengthening cross-river connectivity in the state.
The Brahmaputra tunnel is widely viewed as a strategic and engineering landmark, given the river’s scale and the logistical challenges associated with building underwater infrastructure. Once completed, it is expected to improve mobility and support economic activities across Assam’s riverine regions.
Earlier this month, on 14 February, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, a six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra built at an approximate cost of Rs 3,030 crore. The bridge is designed to enhance traffic flow and reduce travel bottlenecks in the region.
Together, these projects signal an aggressive infrastructure expansion strategy aimed at modernising Assam’s transport networks. The upcoming high-speed corridor, in particular, is expected to serve as a critical backbone for economic integration, tourism growth and faster inter-city movement.
With the Prime Minister’s March visit, Assam’s infrastructure roadmap is poised to gather fresh momentum, reinforcing the state’s role as a gateway to the Northeast.
