SHILLONG, Sep 11: The JICA-funded Shillong-Dawki road project is yet to make any satisfactory progress.
The status report of National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) revealed that the physical progress of the work in four packages is below 10%.
Package one includes improvement, widening with paved shoulder to two-lane from zero to 10.670 km and four-laning from zero to 0.930 between Shillong and Dawki of 11.60 km.
The cumulative physical progress stands at 3.43%. The target date of completion is December 14, 2023 and the work is being carried out by SS Infrazone Pvt. Ltd.
Package two entails work at a stretch of 26.55 km. The physical progress is of 10.12% with a cumulative financial progress of 7.67%. The targeted date of completion as per the contract is December 26, 2023. The work is being carried out by ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd.
The physical progress of work under package four, entailing 17.77 km, is also not encouraging. The progress is only of 9.76%. The financial progress is of 7.75%. The target date of completion as per the contract is December 14, 2023. The work is being executed by SS Infrazone Pvt. Ltd.
Package five will cover 7.99 km. The cumulative physical progress is of 5.63% and cumulative financial progress is of 2.45%.
The target date of completion as per the contract is December 28, 2023 and the work is being carried out by Niraj Cement Structurals Ltd.
The 71-km long National Highway 40 will be converted into a four-lane from Umshyrpi bridge in Shillong to Baniun at 7th Mile in Upper Shillong and two lanes thereafter till Dawki at an estimated cost of Rs 1,251 crore.
The project involves the construction of a bridge over river Umngot at Dawki.