Gadkari Announces ₹60,000 Cr Road Projects at Advantage Assam 2.0, ₹3 Lakh Cr Infra Boost on Cards

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, while virtually addressing the Advantage Assam 2.0 event, emphasized the importance of infrastructure development for economic growth and job creation. He noted that industrial progress is key to poverty alleviation and highlighted Assam’s rapid infrastructure growth since 2014.

Gadkari revealed that projects worth ₹60,000 crore are currently underway in Assam, including:

• Bilasipara-Guwahati Road Project: ₹8,300 crore, 225 km (completion by October 2027)
• Silchar-Churaibari Road Project: ₹6,700 crore, 121 km (completion by December 2028)
• Barak Valley Bridges & Roads: ₹3,000 crore for multiple bridges and a four-lane road over the Barak River, Under the Silchar-Aizawl corridor, a major road connecting Silchar-Vairengte, By-pass road connecting Panchgram-Badarpur
• Doboka to Lahorijan Road Project: ₹2,400 crore, 118 km four-lane (completion by November 2025)
• Silchar to Jiribam Road Project: ₹2,200 crore, 33 km four-lane (completion by December 2028) along with a 770 metre four-lane tunnel.
• Tamenglong-Mahur Dual Road Project: ₹3,300 crore, 80 km (completion by December 2026), serving as an alternative route to Arunachal Pradesh
• Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge: A major connectivity project integrated with a ₹1,600 crore, 54-km four-lane road from Srirampur to Dhubri
• Dibrugarh-Lidu Bypass: ₹1,900 crore, (completion by October 2026)
• Kandulijan-Oyan Road Project: ₹1,800 crore, 82 km four-lane (completion by March 2027)
• Kaziranga Elevated Corridor: ₹6,000 crore, 35-km four-lane road with soundproof technology for wildlife safety
• Numaligarh-Gohpur Under Water Tunnel: ₹15,000 crore, 5 km four-lane construction to begin before July 2025
• Guwahati Ring Road: ₹5,800 crore, 55-km six-lane road (completion by December 2027)
• Kamakhya Temple Expressway: A new corridor ensuring five-minute travel time from Kamakhya Railway Station to the temple

Gadkari further announced that Assam will soon see ₹3 lakh crore in infrastructure investments, including major alternative energy projects, particularly bamboo-based biofuel.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted the achievements of Advantage Assam 1.0, crediting it for transformative projects like the 16,000 km Paradip-Numaligarh pipeline. He reiterated that ₹55,179 crore worth of projects are underway, such as:

• Guwahati Ring Road
• A six-lane highway from Sonapur to Guwahati
• A four-lane expressway to Borapani, linking via tunnels and bridges to Panchgram in just five hours, making it the first express highway in the Northeast
• A new connectivity project linking Jagiroad to Bhutan via Bhairabkunda

Additionally, plans are being explored to connect Guwahati and Dibrugarh via an express highway, which would reduce travel time to just 4 to 5 hours, informed the Chief Minister.

It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister categorically emphasized that improved road connectivity would bridge the perceived distance between the Barak and Brahmaputra Valleys, enhancing regional integration.

Highlighting the next major challenge, CM Sarma stressed the need for a transformation in the education system to create skilled manpower that aligns with upcoming industrial investments.

He noted that existing curricula will need a fundamental overhaul to meet industry demands. To facilitate this, Assam has already signed MoUs with ITA Singapore and other leading skill universities, ensuring a workforce ready for large-scale industrialization.

Also Read: Assam Emerging as Global Investment Hub: Ashok Singhal