Shillong To Silchar Highway: How Corridor Connecting Meghalaya And Assam Will Reduce Dependence On Chicken’s Neck | Details

Shilong-Silchar Highway: The Central Government has proposed the construction of a high-speed four-lane Highway between Shillong and Silchar in Assam, in a major infrastructure push to the NorthEast. The corridor connecting Shillong in Meghalaya to Silchar in Assam has been proposed with significant strategic and economic consequences. 

The Central government had last month approved the first high-speed highway project in the NorthEast, a 166.8-km four-lane expressway from Mawlyngkhung near Shillong to Panchgram near Silchar along NH-6.

Approved by the Union Cabinet at an estimated cost of Rs 22,846 crore, the project will link the region to an international multi-modal transport route through Myanmar. It will bypass the dependence on Bangladesh for maritime access. 

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The proposed project will act as a continuation of a key multi-modal transport project in Myanmar, offering a new sea-based route between the NorthEast and Kolkata.

The Shillong-Silchar Corridor Will Reduce Reliance On Chicken’s Neck 

The project will also address the strategic Vulnerability of India at the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow land link (also called the “Chicken’s Neck”). This corridor connects the NorthEast to the rest of India. The Shillong-Silchar highway is important for transporting goods to the NorthEast region because it provides a direct and secure route, bypassing the challenges posed by restricted access through Bangladesh and complicated routes via Myanmar. The Cargo from Kolkata or Vizag will be able to easily access the NorthEast, through Myanmar.

Shillong-Silchar Highway: First High-Speed Corridor In North-East

Expected to be completed by 2030, the Shillong-Silchar highway will be the first high-speed corridor in the NorthEast and the first such project in hilly terrain. Improving the connectivity for states like Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, and the Barak Valley region of Assam, the corridor is expected to reduce the travel time drastically from 8.5 hours to 5 hours. 

The road will span a total distance, with 144.8 km passing through Meghalaya and 22 km through Assam.

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