Shillong, June 16: Meghalaya’s emergence as a key gateway for trade with Bangladesh received a major boost on Monday with the launch of three Japan-funded highway projects worth ₹1,592 crore aimed at strengthening cross-border connectivity and accelerating economic growth in the Northeast.
The projects, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), were among six National Highway projects inaugurated by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari during a ceremony in Shillong on January 15.
Together, the corridors are expected to improve connectivity between Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal and Bangladesh, while supporting trade, tourism and regional integration under India’s Act East Policy.
A key component of the investment is the Shillong-Dawki highway project, which connects Meghalaya with Bangladesh through the Tamabil border crossing. The upgraded corridor includes a four-lane stretch from Rilbong Junction to Pomlum and is expected to ease traffic congestion, improve road safety and facilitate faster movement of goods and passengers to the international border.
Officials said the project will significantly enhance access to Dawki, one of the region’s busiest trade and tourism gateways with Bangladesh.
The other two JICA-supported projects involve the development of nearly 63 km of National Highway-127B between the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge approach and Goeragre via Selsella in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills. The projects are expected to improve connectivity in remote areas while creating stronger transport links between Meghalaya and Assam.
The NH-127B corridor is also strategically important as it connects with the under-construction Dhubri-Phulbari bridge across the Brahmaputra River, another major JICA-assisted project. Once completed, the bridge will drastically reduce travel time between Assam and Meghalaya and improve access to trade routes leading towards Bangladesh.
According to JICA, the projects are designed not only to improve transportation but also to boost economic activity by reducing travel time and vehicle operating costs, improving access to markets and increasing trade volumes through border customs stations.
The agency also expects the corridors to strengthen tourism by improving access to key destinations and enhancing overall mobility across the region.
Speaking at the event, JICA India Chief Representative Takeuchi Takuro said the projects would generate benefits beyond connectivity.
“These highway projects will not only enhance regional connectivity and facilitate trade, but more importantly, they will create new opportunities for jobs, businesses and improved livelihoods for local communities,” he said.
The projects are being implemented under JICA’s Northeast Road Network Connectivity Improvement Programme, through which Japan has become one of the most significant international partners in the region’s infrastructure development.
With India increasingly looking eastward to strengthen economic ties with Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, the latest investment underscores Meghalaya’s growing strategic importance in regional trade and connectivity networks.
For Meghalaya, the new roads are expected to do more than shorten journeys. They could help transform the state into a critical link in the economic corridor connecting Northeast India with neighbouring countries.
Also Read: One Region, One Infrastructure Vision: Shillong summit seeks to accelerate Northeast growth
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
