Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the ₹6,957 crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project and virtually flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains during a public programme in Nagaon district, Assam.
The Prime Minister arrived from Guwahati as part of the concluding leg of his two-day visit to the state and performed the Bhoomi Poojan for the ambitious infrastructure project, which aims to combine highway development with ecological conservation.
Officials stated that the elevated corridor will facilitate safe wildlife movement across the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, significantly reducing vehicle-animal collisions along National Highway-715. The project is also expected to ease traffic flow, promote eco-tourism, and create employment opportunities for local communities.
The corridor forms a key component of the four-laning of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of NH-715 and includes around 34.45 km of elevated, wildlife-friendly roadway. In addition, bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat have been planned to decongest traffic in nearby towns.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi reviewed a detailed model of the project, underlining its scale and environmentally sensitive design. Earlier in the day, he had highlighted the project’s importance on social media, noting that the elevated corridor would play a crucial role in protecting wildlife, particularly during the monsoon season.
Alongside the highway initiative, the Prime Minister also virtually inaugurated two Amrit Bharat Express train services. One train will operate between Dibrugarh and Gomti Nagar in Lucknow, while the second will run between Kamakhya and Rohtak.
According to railway officials, the new services will strengthen long-distance rail connectivity between Assam and states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana. The trains are expected to reduce travel time and offer improved passenger facilities, enhancing overall travel experience.
