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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that while several infrastructure projects in the state have received Union government sanctions, approval for the elevated corridor from Guwahati Airport to Assam's Jalukbari is still awaited.
Speaking at a press conference, Sarma highlighted major ongoing and upcoming projects under the Guwahati Ring Road and other key corridors. "We have received sanction for several projects. Under the Guwahati Ring Road, the Kurua-Narengi bridge will also be included. The Union government and Assam government will spend Rs 5,729 crore, with land acquisition costs of Rs 7,000 crore. The Union government will spend Rs 6,957 crore under the Kaziranga elevated corridor project," he said. The 121.43 km-long Guwahati Ring Road project has been divided into three main sections. The first section, about 55 km long, will stretch from Baihata Chariali to Sonapur via Kuruwa and Chandrapur. This part will include a four-lane road and several six-lane bridges, including the 2.9 KM Kuruwa-Narengi bridge over the Brahmaputra, as well as five other bridges, three flyovers, and three road overbridges. He further informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Assam in March to lay the foundation stone for the Silchar-Shillong-Guwahati high-speed corridor project. "This will be a game-changing road, reducing travel time from Silchar to Guwahati to 4.5-5 hours. It is the biggest project being implemented by the Union government in Assam, with a total cost of Rs 22,864 crore," Sarma added. The high-speed corridor was announced by the Union Cabinet in April last year. According to an official release, the 166.80 km of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam will be built on Hybrid Annuity Mode as an access-controlled greenfield high-speed corridor at a total capital cost of Rs 22,864 crore. The project length of 166.80 km lies in Meghalaya (144.80 km) and Assam (22.00 km). The proposed greenfield high-speed corridor will improve service levels for traffic moving from Guwahati to Silchar. The development of this corridor will improve connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and the Barak Valley region of Assam from the mainland and Guwahati, with substantially reduced travel distances and times. The Assam Chief Minister also discussed another key project--an elevated corridor from Guwahati airport to Jalukbari, costing Rs 1,500 crore. "This is part of the master plan. The Guwahati airport will be operational on February 22, and the Union government is expected to sanction this project within 1-2 days," he said. Sarma also mentioned a 4-lane road from Baihata Chariali to Tezpur, estimated at Rs 14,000 crore, which is at the final stage of receiving Union government approval. "This project is now under priority consideration, and we hope for a positive outcome soon," he said. These infrastructure initiatives are expected to significantly improve connectivity and transportation in Assam, strengthening the state's development and strategic importance. (ANI)
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