Assam looks to upgrade Baihata Chariali–Tezpur NH at Rs15k-crore, add ELF

Guwahati: Finance ministry has recommended the proposal for upgrading 136 km of NH-15 in Assam’s north bank, which will be feature the region’s second emergency landing facility, at an estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.

He added that four-laning the Baihata Chariali–Tezpur stretch of NH-15 promises seamless connectivity from the West Bengal border in Kokrajhar to the Arunachal Pradesh border in Dhemaji.

He shared in a post on ‘X’ stating that the project will feature 15 major bridges, 19 flyovers, 43 underpasses, and most notably, an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) near Tezpur — the second such facility in Assam after the one at Moran, which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi last month.

ELFs are designed to allow fighter jets and transport aircraft to land on stretches of national highways during emergencies, underscoring the dual civilian and strategic value of the project.

He said the bypasses will ease traffic at Baihata Chariali (8 km), Sipajhar (10 km), Kharupetia (8 km), Dhekiajuli (5 km), and Mission Chariali–Tezpur (28 km), ensuring smoother travel across the north bank.