₹61,500 Crore, 630 km: The Highway That Could Reshape Travel Across the Northeast
1st October 2026
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced a new corridor linking Siliguri, Guwahati and Shillong. Here is the route, the cost and the hours it could save.
The Northeast is getting a big road upgrade. The Centre plans a 630-km highway corridor connecting Siliguri (West Bengal) with Guwahati (Assam) and Shillong (Meghalaya) at an estimated cost of ₹61,500 crore.
Gadkari, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, made the announcement at an event in Assam on Monday, 28th September, 2026. He called the corridor a "lifeline" for the region. It combines new greenfield stretches with upgrades to existing highways, and it is meant to be part of a longer high-speed link from Uttar Pradesh to the Northeast.
61,500cr- Estimated cost of the corridor.
630kms- Siliguri, Guwahati and Shillong and Shilchar link
16,207km- National highways in the Northeast by March 2025,up from 10,905 km in 2014
The three selections of Siliguri- Guwahati- Shillong highway:
Siliguri to Guwahati about 30,000crore:
This is the biggest and costliest leg. Gadkari said the route alignment is still awaiting approval. He described the section as a way to improve connectivity between West Bengal and the Northeast, including the strategic Siliguri Corridor, commonly called the Chicken's Neck.
Jorabat to Barapani : Guwahati to Shillong
A new greenfield highway will link Jorabat near Guwahati with Barapani near Shillong. It cuts the distance from about 100 km to 66 km, and travel time from roughly two and a half hours to about one hour.
Shillong to Shilchar : 165km greenfield highway
The existing route is about 230kms. The new road shortens it to 165 kms and could half the journey from around eight hours to four. Gadkari said the work order is expected in November.
Section | Distance now | Planned | Travel time |
Siliguri- Guwahati | Not Stated | 400kms | Not stated (approval pending) |
Jorabat- Barapani | 100kms | 66kms | 2.5hrs to 1hr |
Shillong - Shilchar | 230kms | 165kms | 8hrs to 4hrs |
Why the Chicken’s Neck Matters :
The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow strip of land that ties the Northeast to the rest of India. A high-speed road through it, helps trade and daily travel, and it also gives the country another strong route into a strategically sensitive region.
The bigger plan : Gorakhpur to Siliguri and beyond:
The ministry is also taking up the Gorakhpur–Siliguri Expressway, which connects Uttar Pradesh with West Bengal. Reports suggest that its at roughly 519 kms, with travel time between the two cities falling from about 14–15 hours to 8–9hours. Once the 630-km corridor is added, the aim is a fast road link between Uttar Pradesh and the Northeast.
North-east road projects already underway :
● Assam : 265 projects covering about 4,700km, worth around 2 lakh crore, are in progress.
● Proposed : 31 projects are covering about 1470kms, at roughly 92crores.
● Growth : Northeast’s national highway network has expanded by more than 5300km since 2014.
What could it mean for you :
● Travellers & Tourists : Shillong day trips from Guwahati become far easier.
● Traders and logistics firms : Shorter routes between Shilchar, Shillong, Guwahati and Siliguri mean lower transit time.
● Residents : faster access to hospitals, colleges and jobs across state lines.
What to watch next :
Three things will show how real this is. First, whether the Siliguri–Guwahati alignment gets approved. Second, whether the Shillong–Silchar work order arrives in November. Third, how hilly terrain and land acquisition affect timelines. Large highway corridors often take longer than first projected, so the announcement is only the first step.
