The Centre has approved the construction of the country's first underwater twin-tube road-cum-rail tunnel project, which will be built under the Brahmaputra River in Assam. The 33.7-kilometer long, four-lane, access-controlled Greenfield connectivity project, which includes a 15.79-kilometer twin-tube tunnel under the river, has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
The infrastructure project will be developed at a cost of 18,662 crore rupees in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode. The project will connect Gohpur on NH-15 and Numaligarh on NH-715 in Assam, reducing the distance between the two Assam cities from the current 240 kilometers to just 34 kilometers.
The travel time will be reduced from six hours to just 20 minutes. The project will provide significant benefits to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and other North-Eastern States. This will enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reduce logistics costs, and drive socio-economic growth in the region. It will be the second underwater Road-cum-Rail tunnel in the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, praised the project's role in accelerating growth throughout the Northeast. He stated that this transformative project will enhance connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and accelerate growth across Assam and the entire Northeast.
Upon completion, the project will play a crucial role in strategic considerations, regional economic growth, strengthening connectivity between major economic centers, and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development.
The project will also generate approximately 80 lakh person-days of direct and indirect employment, and will create new opportunities for growth, development, and prosperity in surrounding regions.
The government has also approved several other projects related to railways, roads, infrastructure, and connectivity. The Cabinet has given approval to three multi-tracking rail projects covering 12 districts across the states of Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the project will strengthen rail infrastructure, reduce logistic costs, and create job opportunities for youth. These projects include the Kasara-Manmad third and fourth lines; the Delhi-Ambala third and fourth lines; and the Ballari-Hosapete third and fourth lines.
The proposed multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approximately 3,902 villages, with a population of about 97 lakhs.
