SHILLONG, March 23: The dusty trail of the 11-km road from Itshyrwat to Mawpdang in New Shillong Township (NST) is likely to be over in the next three weeks with 30 per cent of the blacktopping work on the road already completed.
“We will be completing the blacktopping of this road within three weeks’ time if there is no disruption, especially due to weather,” manager of Rocky & Dhar Construction Company, Nihi Shylla, told The Shillong Times here on Wednesday.
It may be mentioned that the upgrade of the road has been taken up under the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Programme (MITP) and is funded by the World Bank at an estimated cost of over Rs 34 crore. The project is being implemented by Rocky & Dhar Construction Company.
A visit to the project site by this scribe revealed that the blacktopping work, starting from a stretch along Mawpdang village, has nearly reached Tynring village.
It may be mentioned that not only the local residents but also the NEIGRIHMS-bound patients have been having a tough time because of the dusty stretch of road.
According to Shylla, the upgrade work on the road, which started in December 2020, was affected due to COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the detailed project report, the road was to be constructed till Diengpasoh along the Shillong Bypass but there already exists a 5-km PMGSY road and scrapping it was found unfeasible.
“The double-lane work will terminate 5 km short of Diengpasoh road. We will expand the remaining PMGSY road later with some other schemes,” the official said.
The width of the existing road is 3.75 metre and, after expansion, it will be 7 metre, the official added.
The contractor has committed that the blacktopping work will be completed at the earliest, the official said, adding it should take at least another six months to complete the road.