SHILLONG, Dec 5: The State Government is looking to start the construction work of the much delayed Shillong-Dawki road within a month’s time provided land acquisition for the massive project is completed.
The Government had years ago started the process for widening of the strategic National Highway-40 from Shillong to Tamabil that links Meghalaya with Bangladesh, adding the road project is being funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at Rs 1,251 crore.
An official of the State Government informed The Shillong Times that the project is divided into four packages and all the packages have been awarded for the construction to start.
“Everything is going on well except the 8 kilometer stretch of Pynursla Bypass where there are some land issues which is not yet resolved,” the official said.
Informing that the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has already deposited money with all the Deputy Commissioners for the land acquisition, the official however added that there is bit of delay in transferring the money to the account of the land owners. “As soon as the money is transferred to the land owners it will take us another one month to start the construction but it depends on how fast things move,” the official said
The official also added that the Defence authorities have given their permission to start the construction work and even the land owners who are parting with their land for the project have been identified.
The Rs 1251 crore road project is being funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The 71 km long NH-40 will be converted into a four-lane highway for about 15 km from Umshyrpi bridge in Shillong to Bañiun at 7th Mile, Upper Shillong.
The widening includes construction of a new bridge over Umngot river at Dawki.
A new bridge at Dawki has to be constructed as the existing single lane 136-metre suspension bridge is old and unable to support heavy vehicles with load.
The new bridge at Dawki will be 368 in length metres and 12.5 metres wide and it will be built ahead the existing bridge.
An old bridge at Dawki was built by the British since 1932 as an overland link between the then provinces of East Bengal and Assam.