Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that Assam will host India’s first and the world’s second underwater road-cum-rail twin-tube tunnel. The project will run beneath the Brahmaputra, linking Gohpur with Numaligarh and creating a shorter route between the two locations. Gadkari said the development would improve connectivity across Assam and neighbouring north-eastern states.

Gadkari said the required approvals for the project had been obtained and indicated that construction could begin before the end of December, subject to the planned foundation ceremony. The approved project has a total capital cost of Rs. 220 bn. No completion date has been announced for the corridor or tunnel.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the project in February. It comprises a 33.7-km four-lane, access-controlled corridor between Gohpur on NH-15 and Numaligarh on NH-715. Its central component is a 15.79-km twin-tube tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra, with one tube incorporating railway infrastructure.

Once operational, the corridor will connect two airports, four railway stations and two inland waterways. It will also link 11 economic nodes, three social nodes and two tourist nodes. The listed tourist destinations are Kaziranga National Park and the Deopahar Archaeological Site.

The existing road distance between Gohpur and Numaligarh is about 240 km, and the journey currently takes around six hours. The new corridor is projected to reduce the travel time to about 20 minutes. It is also expected to improve links with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other parts of the Northeast, while supporting freight movement, lowering logistics costs and encouraging regional economic activity.