SHILLONG: Most of the state and national highways in Meghalaya are yet to get solar road studs, which provide better visibility to drivers at night. The Guwahati-Shillong highway is one of the busy roads on the outskirts of the city which lacks this facility.
The 17 km road was renovated recently with necessary paved shoulders and marking lines, however, the road does not have the solar road studs despite being one of the busiest highways covered with thick jungles.
Some commuters said that the solar road studs should be installed on the NH as it helps drivers to maneuver their vehicles with ease at night especially when vehicles coming from other directions use high beams.
A resident of Shillong who frequently travel from the city to Jowai expressed happiness that solar road studs have been installed on the road and it definitely helps them in driving vehicles at night and Government should think of similar idea even on the Shillong-Umiam stretch of the GS road.
Even the new roads which were renovated within the agglomeration of the town have been fitted with solar road studs and people are happy for the fact that it provides better visibility apart from making the roads of Shillong look more beautiful at night.
Some drivers also observed that some potholes have started developing in areas like Mawlai even though the road was renovated recently.
Another citizen also pointed out that bitumen started falling apart in one portion of the newly renovated road in Police Bazar and the roads here too lack solar road studs.
It may be mentioned that solar road studs have also become defunct in many stretches of the Umiam-Jorabat expressway which has been built at a cost of over Rs 500 crore.
