The Centre is set to approve the construction of a 160 km greenfield high-speed corridor connecting Shillong and Silchar, reducing travel time between the two cities to just four hours. The highway project, to be built at an estimated Rs 25,000 crore, may be taken up by the cabinet on Wednesday for approval, sources said.
The four-lane project, originally conceived in 2017 as part of the highway ministry’s Bharatmala programme, will be one of the largest in the Northeast. It will help ease travel between Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. Notably, it will also ensure faster movement of defence forces in the region.The proposed four-lane road will be an alternative to the existing NH-6 which is in deplorable condition along various stretches in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier claimed that the vision of the project is to allow people to “travel from Guwahati to Silchar in the morning and return by evening”.
The Shillong-Silchar highway is also expected to boost economic growth. Sources said it will be a solution to the current commuting difficulties often faced by passengers heading towards Silchar and other Northeastern states, where road conditions and frequent landslides, particularly on the Ratacherra stretch, during the monsoon create major disruptions.
At present, highway connectivity between Shillong and Silchar can’t be expanded due to technical difficulties, sources said, stressing that in such a situation, the best option is to build a highway with new alignment. “The new highway will ensure seamless travel and ensure improved movement of freight and passengers across the region,” said an official on the matter.
