The government of India has proposed a 15.6-km twin-tunnel under the mighty Brahmaputra river and is expected to be completed in two years after work starts.
This much talked twin-tunnel which will not only protect the Kaziranga National Park by bypassing it but also benefit India strategically by cutting travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Print reported that each of the two tunnels will have two lanes for smooth flow of traffic and will be built 22 metres below the river bed. The total length of the project will be approximately 33 km, including the 15.6-km tunnel and 18-km approach roads to connect to the highway.
The project has already been endorsed by the Directorate of Military Operations.
The proposed project of the Twin-Tunnel will cost Rs 12,807 crore and is a greenfield alignment to provide a direct link between Gohpur on NH-52 and Numaligarh on NH-37 in Assam.
The link is a part of the 315 km long NH-37 that connects Nagaon to Dibrugarh. It will help bypass the Kaziranga belt that falls on this highway stretch.
The project will be funded entirely by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, stated the report from The Print.
At a meeting on September 1 chaired by Road Secretary Giridhar Armane, NHIDCL was directed to prepare a draft note for the Cabinet Committee on Security after getting the project endorsed by the Ministry of Defence.
If this Twin Tunnel project gets cleared, it will be the second twin-tunnel that will be constructed under a river in India.
Another twin-tunnel project is currently underway in Kolkata — a 10.8-km stretch of the East-West metro corridor under the Howrah.
As per sources, the project is expected to be completed in two years after work starts.
Currently, there are five bridges across the Brahmaputra while one more is under construction and another is being planned.
The Twin-Tunnel project over the river Brahmaputra will prove to be a life changing project for the people of the state. Currently, it takes approximately six hours to cover the nearly 223-km distance from Numaligarh to Gohpur.
There is a two-lane road adjacent to the Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary, which is prone to massive traffic congestion. It is also a circuitous route leading to longer travel time, which will make travel time shorter with this project.
NHIDCL officials said that once the greenfield alignment under the river is completed, the distance between Numaligarh and Gohpur will reduce to 35 km and it will take under an hour to cover the stretch.
NHIDCL added, "The road project will improve connectivity between the north and south side of Brahmaputra and will result in greater economic development in the region."
