New Delhi/Dispur, February 14: : In a historic infrastructure decision, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved India’s first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
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The ambitious ₹18,662 crore project will develop a 4-lane access-controlled greenfield corridor from Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh on NH-715. At the heart of the 33.7 km project is a 15.79 km twin-tube Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra, with railway infrastructure integrated into one of the tubes - marking a first-of-its-kind engineering feat in the country.
Currently, the 240 km journey between Gohpur and Numaligarh takes nearly six hours via the Kaliabhomora bridge. The new corridor is expected to drastically reduce travel time, improve freight movement, cut logistics costs, and strengthen strategic connectivity across the Northeast.
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The alignment will connect key national highways, railway lines under Northeast Frontier Railway, airports, inland waterways, industrial hubs, and tourist destinations including Kaziranga National Park.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the approval a historic milestone and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the project as a transformative step that will reinforce national security and economic growth in line with the Act East vision.
The project is expected to generate around 80 lakh person-days of employment and significantly enhance connectivity across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other northeastern states.
