NEW DELHI: The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) has invited bids for improvement of NH-40 in Meghalaya involving Rs125.01 crore, an official statement said.
The scope of work includes improvement to two-lane with paved shoulder of NH-40 section from 81.740 km to 93.490 km (design 0.000 km to 10.670 km) and improvement to four-lane section of NH-44 from design 0.000 km to 0.930 km, (total length – 11.600 km) in the state.
This will be done on EPC (turnkey) basis under Japan International Cooperation Agency Loan Assistance (Package-I).The estimated value of the project is Rs 125.01 crore with completion period of 36 months.
NH-40 starts from Jorabat in Assam and ends at Tamabil (Dawki) along the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya, covering a total distance of 162.661 km. This highway consists of two sections, namely, the Guwahati -Shillong (GS) section and the Shillong-Tamabil (ST) section.
The GS Road of NH-40 has been upgraded from Km 0/00 to Km 61/800 to four lanes and this portion has been entrusted to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Condition of the road is good except for a stretch from 49/000 km to 53/500 km at Umsning village where it will be diverted through the Umsning bypass.
But a portion of NH-40 from Barapani (61.800 km) to Tamabil (162.661 km) is a two-lane road and is still under the maintenance of the state PWD.
Periodical renewal of this stretch is sanctioned by the ministry from time to time and implementation of the sanctioned work is being taken up by the state PWD, and the condition of the road is stated to be fairly good.
The stretch of this road from 82 to 161.62 km, which also includes construction of Dawki Bridge, has been included under JICA funding.
The feasibility study for widening to two lanes including geometric improvement is conducted by M/s Transys Consulting Private Limited, New Delhi.
