Central government to invest Rs 150 billion for road development in Assam

The central government is likely to invest Rs 150 billion for the development of 1,253 km of roads as national highways in Assam. The state government will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) and initiate the land acquisition process soon. The construction work is expected to start as soon as land and forest clearances are obtained. Meanwhile, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited will be spending Rs 80 billion over the next two years for the development of 143 km of roads including a few bridges over the Brahmaputra river. These projects include the construction of a bridge over the Barak river at Badarpur Ghat near Silchar over National Highway (NH)-44, the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge on NH-127, a four-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra from Gohpur to Numaligarh and Dholabari to Jamuguri over the Jiabhoroli river, and the four-laning of the Balchera-Harangajaw section of NH-54 on the east-west corridor. Another project, the Majuli-Jorhat bridge project, is also included in the list of projects, for which the DPR has been prepared. A DPR is also being prepared for the construction of 1,722 km of roads in the state at an estimated cost of Rs 200 billion. The central government has approved the Sivasagar-Desangmukh-Tekeliphuta-Dhakuakhana-North Lakhimpur-Majuli-Jorhat road project and the construction of a new four-lane road from Changsari to Kuruwa along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river with a six-lane bridge between Kuruwa and Narengi, which can be connected thereafter to the east-west corridor near Khanapara point in Kamrup district. The MoRTH has also announced projects for the development of NH-36; stretches from Agomoni to Golokganj, Gauripur to Panbari and Bangalipara on the Bilasipara bypass to Tillapara covering 63 km on NH-31; construction work on the Solmari-Goalpara road; construction work on the Ratachera-Churaibari section of NH-44; and the Samarajan area of NH-52.