Guwahati–Silchar to be 5 hours apart as PM Modi launches Rs 22,864-cr expressway project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch development projects worth around Rs 23,550 crore in Silchar on March 14, marking the final leg of his two-day visit to Assam ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

After spending the night in Guwahati, Modi is scheduled to depart for Silchar in the morning where he will perform the bhoomi poojan for the Rs 22,860 crore Shillong–Silchar Corridor project, officials said.

The 166-km four-lane corridor, which will be the first access-controlled greenfield high-speed expressway in the Northeast, aims to significantly enhance connectivity between Shillong in Meghalaya and Silchar in Assam.

Once completed, the project is expected to reduce the travel time between Guwahati and Silchar from around 8.5 hours to about five hours, boosting economic activity and cross-border trade in the region.

The Prime Minister will also perform the bhoomi poojan for an elevated corridor on NH-306 in Silchar, from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point (Phase I). The project is aimed at easing traffic congestion on one of the busiest roads in the town and improving connectivity with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur.

During the visit, Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district.
The Prime Minister had arrived in Guwahati on March 13 and flagged off projects worth around Rs 24,250 crore during the first day of his visit.

From Silchar, Modi will depart for Kolkata. Assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal are likely to be held in April.