Umiam-Shillong road
SHILLONG: The state government’s plan to extend the four-lane road from Umiam to Shillong has hit a stumbling block with some landowners unwilling to part with their land for the project.
Talking to media persons here recently, Deputy Chief Minister, in charge of PWD, Prestone Tynsong said that the government is still pursuing the proposed project, but some clans and individuals who own land along the stretch were not willing to part with it.
The four- lane road from Jorabat ends at Umiam after which it is two way up to Shillong. The proposed project envisages converting the two-lane Umiam-Mawlai stretch into four lanes. The department is continuing talks with the landowners, officials said.
Compounding the problem, the stretch from Mawiong to the city often remains packed with vehicles which prompted the government to construct the Mawlai bypass to reduce congestion.
The state government is pushing to expand the Guwahati-Shillong road to four lanes up to the city to reduce congestion from Mawiong. It takes 1.5-2 hours to reach Umiam from Guwahati but the problem starts after crossing Umiam and it takes around an hour or more to reach Shillong from there due to heavy traffic. Frequent travellers say the road is generally clear till Mawiong but after that there is a long queue of vehicles up to the city.