Guwahati, the city of flyovers: Northeast gateway’s fast-changing urban story

"Today, we formally inaugurated the flyover constructed near the old Cycle Factory Road. With this inauguration, all the flyovers that were being constructed across Guwahati city have now been completed."

When Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made this announcement on Friday, it marked a significant milestone in the state government's urban infrastructure push for the city.

Infrastructure development in Guwahati is nothing new. People who have grown up in the city have witnessed its steady transformation over the decades.

Yet, if one development has brought Guwahati into the spotlight in recent years, it is the sheer number of flyovers built across the city, particularly in the last five to six years.

At present, Guwahati has 34 flyovers, overbridges and vehicular underpasses spread across a geographical area of approximately 1,528 square kilometres.

Between 2020 and May 2026, a total of 18 flyovers, overbridges, extension and underpasses have been inaugurated across Guwahati.

In October 2020, the Ganeshguri arm extension flyover was inaugurated at a cost of Rs 58.76 crore, with a length of 400 metres.

In November 2021, the Supermarket Flyover, later renamed Bhagadatta Flyover I, was inaugurated. The 1.21-km structure was built at a cost of Rs 127.2 crore and completed in 22 months.

File image of Bhagadatta Flyover (Photo: @BimalBorah119/X)

In September 30, 2022, Arya Nagar flyover was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarma, built at an approximate cost of Rs 149.07 crore and stretching across a length of 790 meters.

In August 2023, the Maligaon Flyover, also known as the Nilachal Flyover, was inaugurated. At that time it became the longest flyover in Guwahati. The 2.6-km structure was built at a cost of Rs 420 crore and took 35 months to complete.

In October 2023, the Shraddhanjali Flyover on Zoo Road was inaugurated. The project was initially estimated at Rs 78.93 crore, but the cost was later revised to Rs 316.11 crore. The 2.28-km flyover was completed in 19 months.

In March 2024, four flyovers and one vehicular underpass were inaugurated across Lokhra, Boragaon, Basistha, Garchuk and Lalmati, at a total cost of Rs 443 crore, covering 16.448 km in length.

Also in March 2024, the Elevated South Bank Corridor of the Guwahati–North Guwahati Bridge was inaugurated. Built at a cost of Rs 326 crore, the corridor stretches over 1.3 km.

In July 2025, Bhagadatta Flyover II in Rukminigaon was inaugurated. Built at a cost of Rs 112 crore, the 660-metre structure was completed in 18 months.

In September 2025, the Jayanta Hazarika Setu in Panikhaiti was inaugurated along with the new Pan Bazar Rail Overbridge. Built at a cost of Rs 69 crore, the 537-metre Jayanta Hazarika flyover lies along the Narengi–Bhakatgaon road. The Pan Bazar Road Overbridge, constructed at Rs 47 crore, replaced a 60-year-old structure.

In February 2026, the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, a new six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati, was inaugurated by Narendra Modi. The bridge opened for traffic on March 8, 2026.

File image of Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu (Photo: @BJP4Assam/X)

Built at a cost of Rs 3,030 crore, stretches 1.24 kilometres and forms part of an 8.4-kilometre connectivity corridor has been erected in one of India’s most challenging riverine terrains.

In March 2026, the Dinesh Goswami Flyover in Bharalumukh was inaugurated. The 1.2-km flyover, built at a cost of Rs 99 crore, was completed in 15 months.

Expanding the flyover network in Guwahati, the Maharaj Prithu Flyover, connecting Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati was inaugurated in March 2026. Built at a cost of Rs 852.68 crore, the 4.5-km structure is now the longest flyover in the Northeast and was completed in 28 months.

According to Chief Minister Sarma, future plans include extending the Maharaj Prithu Flyover over the Rajgarh railway line, constructing another link between Guwahati Club Rotary and Kamrup Academy–Uzan Bazar, and connecting the Guwahati Club rotary to the Ulubari flyover (Bishnu Ram Medhi Flyover).

And the 18th flyover was inaugurated on May 22, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Flyover connecting Cycle Factory at Garbhanga to Lalganesh in Guwahati.

The 2.8-km-long, three-lane flyover, constructed at a cost of Rs 376 crore, is the first flyover to be inaugurated after the BJP-led NDA government returned to power in Assam. The project assigned on March 8, 2024, with a deadline of 30 months, but was completed within 26 months.

The recent inaugurated Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Flyover (Photo: @himantabiswa/X)

During the inauguration of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee flyover, CM Sarma claimed that with the inauguration of the latest flyover project, all ongoing flyover works under Assam’s PWD department in Guwahati have now been marked completed.

“With the completion of this project today, we have completed the flyover projects under the PWD department in Guwahati. From now on, people will not face congestion and inconvenience caused by flyover construction,” he added.

Under the tenure of Chief Minister Sarma, 17 flyovers, overbridges and vehicular underpasses have been erected across Guwahati.

Now, Guwahati is increasingly being referred to as the “City of Flyovers.” Built with the aim of easing traffic congestion across the city, only time will tell how much these projects ultimately improve mobility for residents.