The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the widening and improvement of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of NH-715 in Assam, including wildlife-friendly measures on the Kaziranga National Park stretch. The 85.7 km project will be executed in Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode at a capital cost of Rs 69.6 billion.
The existing two-lane corridor of NH-715, which passes through densely built-up areas of Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat, runs along the southern boundary of Kaziranga National Park. Seasonal flooding in the park often drives wildlife across the highway towards the Karbi Anglong Hills, leading to frequent accidents and casualties due to heavy traffic.
To address these challenges, the project includes construction of a 34.5 km elevated corridor to provide free and uninterrupted wildlife passage, upgradation of 30.2 km of the current highway, and development of 21 km of greenfield bypasses around Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat. This will decongest traffic, improve safety, and enhance direct connectivity between Guwahati, Kaziranga and the industrial hub of Numaligarh.
The upgraded alignment will integrate with NH-127, NH-129 and SH-35, while also connecting with three railway stations (Nagaon, Jakhalabandha, Vishwanath Chariali) and three airports (Tezpur, Lilabari, Jorhat), strengthening logistics and passenger mobility across the region. It will also improve access to key socio-economic centres and eight major tourist and religious destinations, boosting regional growth and tourism.
The project is expected to generate about 15.4 million person-days of direct employment and 19.2 million person-days of indirect employment, contributing significantly to Assam’s economic development.?
