A proposed 630-kilometre Siliguri-Guwahati-Shillong highway corridor is set to strengthen road connectivity between North Bengal and the Northeast, with the project expected to improve access to the strategically important Siliguri Corridor and support tourism, trade and employment, according to Darjeeling MP Raju Bista.
Bista said Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had announced the corridor, estimated to cost Rs 61,500 crore. The project is planned in three phases and is intended to create faster links between Siliguri, Guwahati and Shillong while improving connectivity for the wider northeastern region.
The first phase would involve a 400-kilometre high-speed road between Siliguri and Guwahati at an estimated cost of Rs 30,000 crore. The alignment, or detailed route plan, is awaiting approval, according to the report. The proposed section is being planned both to improve movement between West Bengal and the Northeast and to strengthen connectivity around the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’.
The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow land link connecting the northeastern states with the rest of India. The proposed highway is being presented as part of a broader effort to improve transport infrastructure in the region, alongside the Gorakhpur-Siliguri expressway project, work on which the report says has already begun.
The second phase would connect Jorabat near Guwahati with Barapani near Shillong through a 66-kilometre greenfield road. The proposed route would reduce the distance between the two locations by 100 kilometres, from the existing 166 kilometres, according to the report. Travel time is expected to fall from about two and a half hours to one hour once the new road is available.
The third phase would involve a 165-kilometre greenfield highway linking Shillong with Silchar. Bista said the work order for this section would be issued in November. The report does not provide a completion schedule for any of the three phases.
Bista described the planned corridor as part of a wider transport network linking northern India, North Bengal and the Northeast. He said improved road connectivity could accelerate tourism and commercial activity in Darjeeling, Siliguri, the Terai, the Dooars and the larger northeastern region.
The proposal also places the administrative and implementation details of the project under focus. The first phase cannot proceed to construction until its alignment is approved, while the third phase is awaiting the reported work-order milestone. The source report does not specify the executing agency, land-acquisition process, tender structure or financing arrangement beyond the estimated project costs.
For residents and businesses, the immediate significance lies in whether the proposed route can move from announcement to approved alignment, contracting and construction. The next stated milestone is the expected November work order for the Shillong-Silchar section, while the Siliguri-Guwahati alignment remains pending approval.
