Shillong, May 9: The National Highway Infrastructure Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is conducting surveys for two massive road projects in Meghalaya, one of which is looking to find a viable alternate route between Umiam and Shillong.
The other is exploring the idea of making the Shillong Bypass and the rest of the road up to Malidor in East Jaintia Hills, which is on the border with Assam, into a four-lane route.
Although the Jorabat to Umiam stretch of the Guwahati-Shillong highway is four lanes, the Umiam to Shillong portio is only two lanes. Expanding it to double the width would be challenging as it would involve blasting of hills in some areas and entail taking land along populated areas in Mawlai.
The project for the alternate route would lead from Umiam up to the Shillong Civil Hospital junction. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who holds the Public Works Department portfolio, said that NHIDCL is currently conducting an alignment survey.
“Once they complete the survey, they will come to us for necessary permission,” he said.
In addition, NHIDCL is also conducting a survey to upgrade the existing two-lane road from Umiam flyover up to Malidor into a four-lane road.
Meanwhile, Tynsong was also asked about deplorable condition of National Highway 6 and frequent landslides at the Sonapur tunnel, which cut off parts of Jaintia Hills, not to mention Tripura, Mizoram and Assam’s Barak Valley. He said that the matter has been raised with the central government and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The road is currently being repaired and is maintained by NHAI. It is the latter which has appointed a contractor to undertake the road repairs.
