SHILLONG, April 12: In a major relief to commuters, especially patients, the blacktopping of the road from Itshyrwat to Diengpasoh in New Shillong Township was finally completed on Tuesday evening.
The blacktopping work which began on March 17 was completed in a record time of 26 days.
When contacted, a senior government official said the contractor will need around three months to complete all aspects of the project including drainage, marking and signage.
The road, which connects Shillong with NST, is used by hundreds of patients every day to go to NEIGRIHMS and NEIAH.
According to the official, the previously single-lane road has been converted into a double-lane road under the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP).
As per the detailed project report, the road was to be constructed till Diengpasoh on the Shillong Bypass but due to the presence of a 5-km PMGSY road, it will now terminate 5 km short of the Bypass. “We will expand the existing PMGSY road into two lanes later under some other scheme,” the official said.
The width of the 11-km Itshyrwat-Diengpasoh road has been expanded from 3.75 metres to 7 metres, the official added. The road project is being implemented at a cost of Rs 34.9 crore.