Cabinet approves 166 km long greenfield highway between Meghalaya and Assam; capital cost pegged at Rs 22,864 crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Wednesday approved the 166.8 km access controlled greenfield high-speed corridor between Meghalaya and Assam at a capital cost of Rs 22,864 crore, aimed at improving road connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the Barak valley region of Assam from mainland and Guwahati.

The four-lane national highway will be developed, maintained and managed under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM) and will extend from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam.

The 144.8 km of the total project length of 166.80 km will be in Meghalaya while the remaining 22.0 km will be in Assam (22.00 km). The highway will be built in three years and will be maintained by the concessionaire for 15 years.

“This will substantially reduce distance and travel time which in turn will contribute to the enhancement of logistics efficiency of the nation,” the government said in a statement.

“The corridor will improve connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya and will spur economic development, including development of industries in Meghalaya, as it passes through cement and coal production areas of Meghalaya,” it said.

The total civil cost of the project is Rs 12,087 crore while the land acquisition cost is expected to be 3,503 crore.

The project is expected to generate 74 lakh man days of direct jobs and 93 lakh mandays of indirect jobs. The annual average daily traffic along this route in 2024-25 is estimated at 19,000 to 20,000 passenger car units (PCUs).

The project aligns with the government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, enhancing infrastructure while generating employment and fostering socio-economic development in Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

As per the statement, the project alignment integrates with major transport corridors, including NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, NH-37 providing seamless connectivity to Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Diengpasoh, Ummulong, Phramer, Khlieriat, Ratachera, Umkiang, Kalain.

Upon completion, the Shillong - Silchar Corridor will play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, improving connectivity between Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala, it said.