By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 25: Various road projects aimed at improving connectivity to Shillong and other parts of the state remain on paper, with no clear timeline for their kick-off.
Concerns about the safety of the Umiam dam, too, have persisted for years, as it is the only well-maintained road linking the state capital with the rest of the country.
Albeit the repair work on the dam has been going on for five months now, it is the daily traffic jams that have been giving a hard time to the travellers.
However, the state government seems to have finally come alive to the situation as necessary exercise is on to construct an alternative road that will connect Shillong with Ri-Bhoi, bypassing the Umiam dam entirely.
On Friday, it was informed that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is working on a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this additional route.
However, no timeline has been provided for this project, similar to others.
In addition to the proposed alternative route, the Western Bypass road, intended to alleviate congestion in Shillong and provide a direct route to Sohra and Dawki, remains in the planning stage in view of land acquisition hurdles.
Furthermore, efforts are underway to upgrade the existing Shillong Bypass into a four-lane road.
This bypass, which was constructed a decade ago to decongest Shillong, is currently undergoing alignment surveys as part of the upgrade process.