SHILLONG, April 25: As has been the norm in Meghalaya with all infrastructure projects, the Shillong-Dawki road project seems to be set to miss its deadline of December 2022.
The physical progress of phase I of the project, under which an 11.6-km four-lane road from Umshyrpi bridge to Baniun in Upper Shillong is to be constructed, is only 6.66% as on March 31. The target date of completion of the stretch as per the contract is December 14, 2022. This stretch is being constructed at a cost of Rs 91.26 crore by M/s SS Infrazone Pvt. Ltd.
The physical progress is however better in phase II and III with 23.92% and 18.53&, respectively.
As per the contract, M/s ARSS Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd and M/s SS Infrazone Pvt. Ltd will have to complete their respective work by December-end.
The last phase of the project which includes improvement/widening of the road to two lanes with paved shoulder on both sides besides four-laning of the final stretch of the road with a total length of around 7 km has only achieved a physical progress of 5.18% as on March 31. This phase of the work, allocated at a cost of Rs 141.14 crore, is scheduled to be completed by December but seems to be highly improbable.
With pre-Monsoon showers already disrupting work and the Monsoon season set to enter Meghalaya, the work is only expected to slow down further, officials feared.
Given the physical progress of all the stretches, it is clear that the project will miss its December deadline, the officials admitted.
The 71 km-long existing road is to be converted into a four-lane highway from Umshyrpi bridge in to Baniun at 7th Mile, and two lanes thereafter till Dawki at an estimated cost of Rs 1,251 crore.
The project also includes construction of a new bridge across the Umngot river at Dawki.
