The Centre is set to advance the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project, an environmentally sensitive highway initiative aimed at ensuring safer wildlife movement and improving regional connectivity in Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the Bhoomi Pujan for the project during his visit to the state on 18 January, according to an official release issued on Friday, 17 January.
The project, estimated at over ₹ 6,950 crore, involves the four-laning of the Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of National Highway 715 and is designed as a model infrastructure intervention balancing development with conservation. Spanning about 86 kilometres, the corridor will include a 35-kilometre-long elevated wildlife passage through Kaziranga National Park, along with bypasses and widened highway sections.
Officials said the elevated corridor has been planned to allow uninterrupted movement of animals across forest stretches, significantly reducing human-wildlife conflict in the Kaziranga landscape, which is globally known for its biodiversity. The design is expected to improve road safety by cutting down accident rates, particularly incidents involving wildlife crossings.
In addition to conservation benefits, the project is expected to strengthen connectivity to Upper Assam, including key towns such as Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. The corridor will pass through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts, improving passenger and freight movement across the region.
As part of the plan, bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat will be developed to ease congestion in urban areas, enhance traffic flow, and improve the quality of life for local residents. The elevated corridor is also expected to reduce travel time on this critical highway stretch while supporting the growing transport demands of the Northeast.
The Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project is being positioned as one of India’s most ambitious wildlife-friendly highway projects, reflecting a policy approach that integrates infrastructure expansion with ecological protection in sensitive regions of the country.
