Guwahati, Oct 1: The Union Cabinet has approved the widening of the existing Kalibor–Numaligarh section of NH-715 into a four-lane highway, with special wildlife-friendly measures to protect animal movement across the Kaziranga National Park stretch. The ₹6,957-crore project is expected to be a gamechanger for connectivity and conservation in Assam.
The 85.675-km project will be executed on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. It includes a 34.5-km elevated corridor to allow unhindered wildlife movement between Kaziranga National Park and the Karbi Anglong Hills, where animals migrate during annual floods. The existing highway, currently a two-lane road, has long been notorious for animal deaths due to speeding vehicles.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X- The project also includes the ambitious 34km Elevated Corridor in Kaziranga which will ease traffic movement and at the same time save the lives of our faunal friends who fall victims to accidents.
This is a major infrastructure project which will transform connectivity in Assam and open a new template of human-animal coexistence.
My gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the Union Cabinet for approving the widening of the 4 Lane Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of the NH-715 at a cost of ₹6,957cr.
The project also includes the ambitious 34km Elevated Corridor in Kaziranga which will… pic.twitter.com/A03xsHw2SS
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 1, 2025
To further ease congestion, the project will upgrade 30.22 km of existing road and construct 21 km of greenfield bypasses around Jakhalabandha (Nagaon) and Bokakhat (Golaghat). This will improve safety for commuters and wildlife alike while enhancing direct connectivity between Guwahati, Kaziranga, and Numaligarh.
The upgraded corridor will integrate with NH-127, NH-129, and SH-35, linking key economic and tourism nodes. It also connects three major railway stations—Nagaon, Jakhalabandha, and Biswanath Chariali—and three airports—Tezpur, Lilabari, and Jorhat—boosting multimodal connectivity across the region.
Officials said the project is expected to significantly boost tourism, trade, and industry, while also generating an estimated 15.42 lakh person-days of direct employment and 19.19 lakh person-days indirectly.
Importantly, the highway expansion is being seen as a model for balancing development and ecology. Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces severe flooding every monsoon, forcing animals such as rhinos, elephants, and deer to cross the highway in search of higher ground, often leading to tragic roadkills. The elevated corridor is designed to drastically reduce such incidents.
Once complete, the Kalibor–Numaligarh section is expected to serve as a critical economic and tourism artery for Assam, strengthening links between industrial hubs, religious sites, and one of India’s most iconic national parks.
Also Read: Two feared dead in Dibrugarh road accident
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