Guwahati, Aug. 18 -- The journey of Assam tea from a garden in North Assam to markets beyond the state could soon become faster and more predictable, with the Centre approving a Rs 8,970-crore highway corridor linking Baihata Chariali with Tezpur.

The 135.87-km, four-lane, access-controlled Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor on NH-15 is being billed as more than another highway project. It is expected to strengthen one of Assam's key economic arteries, connecting tea-growing areas, industrial centres, tourism destinations and logistics hubs with Guwahati and the wider Northeast.

Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs earlier this month, the corridor will be developed under the Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll model. The 15.11-km M...