SHILLONG: The ongoing construction of 102-km Jowai-Ratacherra road project is on the verge of completion and can be commissioned even before February next year provided Meghalaya government hands over the required land to the implementing agency.
A visit to the road under construction reveals that the road construction is more or less completed till Sonapur tunnel along with drainage work.
However, pavement markings, safety signposts and pave shoulders are yet to be installed by the implementing agency.
An official of the implementing agency, GR Infrastructure, said that road furniture and safety signposts would be installed later when the road is fully completed.
The implementing agency as of now has put only the centre line on the road for safety purpose.
The official informed that they were planning to complete the road in February but the problem cropped in the form of delay in hand over land to company by the authorities for the early completion of the road.
The implementing agency requires land for construction of trucks lay bye and toll plaza at Lalong near Jowai town.
However, the stretch from beyond Sonapur tunnel till the end point of the road has not been taken up as of now and the work is scheduled to be taken up after monsoon season is over. The construction of the stretch will be completed by December this year.
Right now, the company is focusing on the drainage system on the road stretch. The official also informed that around 30 kilometers of more road had remained to be built after which the project would be fully completed. The official also said that the physical progress of the project as of now stood at 70 per cent.
The expansion work of the arterial NH-44 has been approved under Phase-III of the National Highway Development Programme and the road will be a boon not only for Meghalaya but also for other neighbouring states, including Assam and Mizoram.
The Jowai-Ratacherra road has over the years posed numerous difficulties to commuters who have had to brave the dilapidated stretch. Hence, its repair will be a welcome change. The project cost is Rs 630 crore.