Expanding Assam highways

The union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that over the next five years, the central government will invest Rs.15,000 crores to develop 1,253 km of roads in Assam into National Highways. Gadkari made the announcement at the inauguration ceremony of second road bridge over Brahmaputra in Assam. He also announced that the Centre has already sanctioned Rs.15,000 crore for the development of existing roads into national highways. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) is set to spend Rs.8,000 crore over the next two years to develop 143 km of road, including a few bridges over river Brahmaputra. Gadkari mentioned in his speech that the Centre has approved S iv as agar-Des an gmukhTekeli phu ta-D ha ku akh ana-North Lakhimpur-Majuli-Jorhat road project and another project to relieve traffic congestion on Guwahati by-pass with the construction of a new four-lane road from Changsari to Kuruwa along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra.