Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has hailed the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for approving a Rs 69.6 billion project to widen and modernise the Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of National Highway 715 in Assam.

The project’s centrepiece is a 34.5-kilometre elevated corridor through the Kaziranga National Park (KNP), designed to ensure safe, uninterrupted wildlife movement while significantly improving road connectivity across Assam.

Calling it a “historic day for Assam and a giant leap for India’s sustainable development”, Sonowal said the corridor would protect wildlife between Kaziranga and the Karbi Anglong Hills while improving travel for local communities. “This is a promise to protect our natural heritage while building a brighter future for our people,” he remarked.

The minister emphasised that the project would safeguard Kaziranga’s ecosystem, reduce travel time, promote eco-tourism, and open new trade and industrial opportunities. It will also support pilgrimage routes and improve road safety with 21 kilometres of greenfield bypasses to decongest Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat.

Currently, the Kaliabor–Numaligarh stretch (formerly NH-37) is a two-lane road vulnerable to seasonal flooding and wildlife accidents. The upgrade will include:

The modernised highway will link with NH-127, NH-129, and SH-35, and connect to three railway stations — Nagaon, Jakhalabandha, and Vishwanath Chariali — as well as three airports at Tezpur, Lilabari, and Jorhat, enhancing logistics, trade, and mobility across the region.

The development is expected to generate 1.54 million person-days of direct employment and 1.92 million person-days of indirect jobs, giving a strong boost to Assam’s socio-economic growth.

Sonowal added that the highway embodies Prime Minister Modi’s vision of progress where “economy and ecology go hand-in-hand.” He described the initiative as a transformative milestone that combines infrastructure growth with environmental conservation, setting a benchmark for sustainable development in India’s North East.