GUWAHATI: Innovative projects taken up by the Assam public works department will soon transform Guwahati into a “Gateway to South East Asia”, state PWD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.
“Assam PWD has undertaken several projects to transform Guwahati into the Gateway to South East Asia,” Sarma said while inaugurating two modern footbridges on GS Road here on Monday.
“Two more footbridges, one at Khanapara and the other at Kamakhya Gate, will be ready this month. We plan to complete all the under-construction footbridges in the city by the end of March 2021,” the minister said.
The state government has incurred approximately Rs 20 crore for the construction of the two footbridges at Christian Basti and ABC Point which are equipped with automated elevators and ramps for the physically-challenged, two-way escalators and customised perforated screen cladding.
The footbridges, which will remain illuminated from dusk till dawn, will allow pedestrians to conveniently cross from both sides of the arterial road.
The minister said that the department had taken necessary measures to ensure normal traffic flow during construction of the footbridges.
Listing out some future and ongoing projects in the city, Sarma said that work on a 5.5km long six-lane flyover connecting Gauhati Club with Noonmati, also linking RG Baruah Road and Rajgarh Road, would begin next year. “The design for the project is being prepared,” he said.
“The Dispur Super Market flyover will be ready before or after Bohag Bihu (in April) this year with 70 percent of the work already over. Work on the flyover at Maligaon is underway while work on another flyover at Sarabhatti will start in a week’s time,” the PWD minister said.
Sarma said an alternative road to Kamakhya Temple was likely to be opened to people this month even as land acquisition and clearance for some portions of it were yet to be attained.
Informing that the Guwahati-North Guwahati Bridge will be ready by the year 2023, Sarma said the Rs 2600-crore project would be the department’s biggest project so far and 30 percent work has been completed.
“Once completed, the bridge will most certainly be among the best in the country. We also plan to promote the site as a tourist hotspot in the coming years,” he said.