Siliguri Gets ₹61,500 Crore Highway Push to Strengthen Northeast Connectivity

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Thu, Oct 01, 01:46 AM IST • 2 min read

Siliguri is set to receive a major infrastructure push with a proposed ₹61,500-crore highway corridor aimed at strengthening road connectivity between West Bengal and the Northeast.

The planned corridor will span around 630 km and connect Siliguri with key destinations including Guwahati, Shillong and Silchar. The project is expected to improve the movement of people and goods while strengthening Siliguri’s role as an important gateway to the Northeast.

The first section of the proposed corridor will cover around 400 km between Siliguri and Guwahati, with an estimated investment of ₹30,000 crore. The alignment for this section is currently awaiting approval.

New Highway Links to Improve Northeast Connectivity

The project also includes a 66-km greenfield road between Jorabat and Barapani. The new road is expected to reduce the distance between the two locations from around 100 km to 66 km and bring down travel time from approximately 2.5 hours to around one hour.

Another major component is the proposed 165-km Shillong–Silchar highway. The route is expected to reduce the existing distance from around 230 km to 165 km, while cutting travel time from nearly eight hours to around four hours.

These new highway links are aimed at creating faster and more efficient road connections between major cities and economic centres across the Northeast.

Gorakhpur–Siliguri Expressway Also Planned

Alongside the proposed Northeast highway corridor, an expressway between Gorakhpur and Siliguri is also planned.

The proposed projects together could create stronger road links between eastern India and the Northeast, improving regional connectivity and supporting the movement of trade, logistics and passengers.

For Siliguri, which serves as a crucial transit point between mainland India and the Northeast, the infrastructure expansion could further strengthen its importance as a transportation and logistics hub.

The ₹61,500-crore highway push represents a significant proposed investment in the region’s road infrastructure and could reshape connectivity between West Bengal and several key destinations across the Northeast.