SHILLONG, May 11: The much-talked-about Shillong-Dawki road project inches forward with visible signs of construction activity, but the glaring absence of basic road safety measures is putting motorists at constant risk.
A drive from Rhino Point till the Elephant Falls, Mawphlang, and Sohra junction lays bare the hazards that now characterise this vital route.
Throughout the under-construction zones, essential signage is missing. There are no warning boards about upcoming diversions, roadwork zones, or unsafe stretches, leaving drivers guessing at every turn. At several points, including a particularly hazardous section near the Agriculture Office, vehicles are seen continuing straight only to come to a sudden halt at an unfinished, dug-up portion of the road.
With no prior indication, motorists are forced to make abrupt U-turns to get back on the correct path, risking accidents in the process.
This lack of signage not only causes confusion but creates bottlenecks and increases the potential for head-on collisions, particularly when vehicles are navigating from opposite directions with limited visibility of what lies ahead.
The situation worsens after dark. Without proper lighting, reflective boards, or barricades, the danger multiplies. Drivers face stretches of road that vanish into darkness, riddled with gravel, equipment, and sharp turns that offer little margin for error. With ongoing construction activity in some parts, machinery and narrowed lanes add to the already precarious conditions.
Despite the scale and importance of the project intended to improve connectivity and boost regional development the failure to ensure basic road safety during construction is proving to be a critical oversight.
While the construction work continues, the lack of coordinated traffic management, proper signposting, and night-time safety provisions is undermining the project’s intent.
