By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 5: Aiming to ease traffic congestion on the busy GS Road, the state government has come up with a proposal to construct an elevated four-lane road from Umiam to Rilbong, bypassing the Umiam dam.
Once completed, the proposed four-lane road will ease the restrictions on heavy vehicles, including night super buses, from entering the city through the Umiam dam.
The restrictions have been in place for over a year following the retrofitting work on the dam.
The proposed 14.85-km road will bypass the Umiam dam and could lead to the Shillong-Dawki road or an overpass from Rilbong to Barik, provided it is approved by the NHIDCL.
The government has assigned a consultant team to prepare the DPR detailing the alignment and the feasibility of the proposed road.
If approved, the travel time and distance between Umiam and Shillong will be reduced, and restrictions on the Umiam dam will not cause problems for heavy vehicles.
Travel from Guwahati to Umiam takes a maximum of one and a half hours, but a small stretch of 14-15 km from Umiam to Shillong takes 1-2 hours to cover due to traffic jams.