SHILLONG: The state government has asked the Ministry of Road Transport for upgrading of eight state roads to national highway.
Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge, PWD, Prestone Tynsong made the request during a video conference with the Union Road Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, on Tuesday.
“We have proposed upgrading of eight state roads to national highway and the ministry is examining the proposal”, Tynsong told reporters.
During the video conference, the two leaders also discussed about the transport sector and the state government informed that protocols issued by the ministry were being followed in the state.
Appreciating the efforts of the Road, Transport and Highways ministry and the Defence ministry for parting with the land for construction of four-lane road from Rilbong to Upper Shillong, Tynsong said that the latter will now have to hand it over to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, which is the project implementing agency.
The Ministry of Defence had recently agreed to give 12.45 acres of land for the construction and upgrading of Shillong-Dawki road.
The land will be used for expansion of the road to four lane till Upper Shillong after which it will be two lane.
The 71.5-km road will be constructed through funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and it is expected that once the project is completed it would also be beneficial for Guwahati-Shillong-Dhaka bus service which in turn would boost trade and commerce with Bangladesh.
