By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: It was a pleasant sight in Shillong on Saturday as citizens enjoyed a day without the routine traffic jams, thanks to the opening of the Shillong Bypass.
Only a handful of trucks plied through the roads of Shillong in the entire stretch from Mawlai till Laitkor as most of the trucks were diverted through the Shillong Bypass which was opened for traffic on Friday afternoon on a trial basis.
However, traffic congestion was visible in Khyndai Lad with hundreds of vehicles clogging the roads.
Happy over the traffic roads on most parts of the city, a resident said, “I hope the situation remains the same even on weekdays when people come out of their homes.”
“It was a totally different driving experience today (Saturday) as the roads were not packed with trucks,” another resident said.
The Bypass, which was lingering for 25 years, was finally opened on Friday afternoon after the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, which was conducting the safety audit of the Bypass, submitted its report to the Government.
An official involved with the Shillong Bypass project informed that M/S GR – Chetak (JV) which had executed the project will maintain it for the next thirteen years.
It was learnt that recently miscreants had stolen the batteries of the solar lights installed along the Bypass and the company had to replace them.
“We have tried our best to make the road while conforming to international standards and now people of the State need to treat this project as their own,” the official said on Saturday.
The official also urged drivers not to drive their vehicles in excess of the speed limit on the Bypass since the whole stretch of the road is lined with sharp curves and speed breakers.
“People should adhere to the speed of 50 kmph for their own safety as well as the safety of others,” the official added.