Making Waves Underwater: A ₹18,662 Crore Shortcut for Assam

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a twin-tube tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra River in Assam. The project, which includes railway infrastructure in one of the tubes, entails a total capital outlay of ₹18,662 crore.

The 33.7-km greenfield corridor will establish four-lane, access-controlled connectivity between Gohpur (NH-15) and Numaligarh (NH-715). A key component is a 15.79-km underwater road-cum-rail tunnel to be built using twin-tube Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology. Each tube will carry two traffic lanes, with one tube additionally accommodating railway tracks. The project also comprises 1.26 km of road cut-and-cover and 4 km of rail cut-and-cover sections.

Execution will follow the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model. The civil construction cost is estimated at ₹11,982.36 crore, while land acquisition is projected at ₹716.65 crore.

At present, the 240-km journey between Numaligarh and Gohpur via the Kaliabhomora bridge near Silghat takes around six hours. The proposed tunnel will provide a direct crossing under the Brahmaputra, significantly reducing both travel distance and time.

The corridor is designed to integrate road and rail networks, linking NH-15 and NH-715 with the Rangia–Mukongselek railway section on the Gohpur side and the Furkating–Mariani loop line on the Numaligarh side. It will connect 11 economic nodes, three social nodes, two tourist destinations, and eight logistics hubs. The route will also link four major railway stations, Donyi Polo Airport (Itanagar), Tezpur Airport, and two inland waterway terminals at Biswanath Ghat and Tezpur.

According to government estimates, the project is expected to generate around 80 lakh person-days of direct and indirect employment. It is projected to handle an annual average daily traffic of 4,680 passenger car units in 2024–25.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.