Assam: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his gratitude to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, for initiating crucial steps to fast-track the long-delayed Jorhat-Dibrugarh National Highway project.
The move comes after the onboarding of 11 contractors tasked with expediting work on the critical 127-km stretch.
The project, part of NH-37 (Old)/NH-02 and NH-715 (New), had been hindered by challenges such as land acquisition issues, a scarcity of raw materials like silt and sand, and inefficiencies by previous contractors. Sarma commended Gadkari’s proactive measures, which aim to overcome these obstacles and ensure smoother execution.
In a letter to CM Sarma, Gadkari outlined several key updates and solutions, including:
- Division of Work: Segmenting the Jorhat-Dibrugarh stretch into smaller sections for better manageability and faster progress.
- Infrastructure Additions: Plans for 9 Vehicular Underpasses (VUPs), 6 Pedestrian Underpasses (PUPs), and a flyover to enhance connectivity and safety.
- Material Requirements: An estimated need for 12 lakh cubic meters of earth, 11 lakh cubic meters of sand, and 5 lakh metric tons of boulders to complete the project.
Gadkari assured that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has been directed to address these challenges proactively and to prioritize the maintenance and restoration of Assam’s highways to make them traffic-worthy.
CM Sarma expressed optimism about the project’s timely completion, recognizing Gadkari’s commitment and the collaborative efforts underway to boost Assam’s road infrastructure. He reaffirmed the importance of the highway for the state’s economic growth and regional connectivity.
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