High-speed highway connectivity is in the works for the North-East connecting it to Uttar Pradesh in the future. Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that the government will soon take up construction of a 630-km corridor linking Siliguri in West Bengal with Guwahati in Assam and Shillong in Meghalaya. The project is estimated to cost Rs 61,500 crore. The road transport ministry has also initiated an expressway connectivity project between Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and Siliguri. Once these projects are complete, a high-speed highway connectivity will be established between Uttar Pradesh and the North East.
Speaking at an event, Gadkari described the 630-km corridor as the “lifeline” of the North East, according to this TOI report. The project will combine new greenfield stretches with the upgradation of existing highways, with the aim of providing seamless connectivity across the entire route. The first part of the corridor will cover the 400-km stretch between Siliguri and Guwahati and is expected to involve an investment of Rs 30,000 crore. Gadkari said the alignment for this section is currently awaiting approval. “This has been proposed to improve connectivity between West Bengal and North East, and also the strategic Chicken’s Neck,” Gadkari said. The second section will link Jorabat in Guwahati with Barapani in Shillong. According to Gadkari, the greenfield road will bring down the existing distance from 100 km to 66 km. It will also reduce the travel time from around two-and-a-half hours to just one hour. The third leg will be a 165-km greenfield highway connecting Shillong with Silchar. Gadkari said the work order for this section is expected to be issued in November. “This corridor will reduce the current 230 km to barely 165 km. The travel time will also be reduced by half - from the current eight hours to only four hours,” Gadkari said. Gadkari also said that 265 projects spanning around 4,700 km are currently being undertaken in Assam. These projects have an estimated cost of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore. In addition, another 31 projects covering approximately 1,470 km have been planned at an estimated cost of Rs 92,000 crore.
A cumulative Rs 6.11 lakh crore was spent on development in the North Eastern Region (NER) between 2014-15 and 2024-25, against a cumulative allocation of Rs 6.02 lakh crore (RE), according to government data. In addition, several infrastructure projects have been completed across different sectors through various schemes of the Union government.
Road Connectivity: The National Highway network in the North Eastern Region has expanded considerably. The total length of National Highways increased from 10,905 km in 2014 to 16,207 km as of March 31, 2025. Over the past decade, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has also led to the construction of 46,296 km of rural roads across the NER, involving expenditure of Rs 47,279 crore.
Railway Connectivity: Railway investment in the North Eastern Region has risen substantially in recent years. The annual budget allocation for the railway sector has increased from Rs. 2,122 crore during the 2009-14 period to Rs. 10,440 crore in FY 2025-26. Several railway projects currently under implementation are aimed at strengthening infrastructure connectivity under the Act East Policy. These include the Bhairabi-Sairang New Line (51 km), Agartala-Sabroom New Line (112 km), Agartala-Akhaura New Line (5 km), Jiribam-Imphal New Line (111 km) and Murkongselek-Pasighat New Line (27 km).
Air Connectivity: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) introduced the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) on October 21, 2016. The scheme follows a market-driven approach, under which the development of regional air connectivity routes is determined by market forces. Airlines evaluate demand and supply requirements for individual routes and take the lead in the process under the scheme. In the North Eastern states, Pasighat, Tezu, Hollongi, Jorhat, Lilabari, Rupsi, Tezpur, Dimapur, Shillong and Pakyong have been identified for the development and operation of RCS flights under UDAN. A total of 90 routes have been operationalised under the scheme.
