NHIDCL Proposes Three Options For Jalukbari-Jorabat Stretch
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: An ambitious project is under consideration of the NHIDCL (National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation) to ease the growing traffic and congestion on the 25 km-stretch of National Highway-37 from Jalukbari near Guwahati to Jorabat.
Talking to The Sentinel, Executive Director of NHIDCL (North East), Ajay Ahluwalia said, “The NHIDCL is studying three options. We’ve forwarded the proposals to the Centre. The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway will take the final call.”
Once the Centre finalizes on adopting one against three options the Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared. The project will be undertaken under the Centre’s ‘Bharatmala’ scheme.
The entire stretch is presently under the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India). However, it will come under the NHIDCL very soon, sources informed. The NHIDCL is a fully owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.
The NHIDCL has already allotted the job of finding out the feasibility of alternative routes to M/s CE Testing Pvt Ltd. The company has identified three alternative routes.
The first is to convert the existing 25 km long four-lane stretch from Jalukbari to Jorabat via Khanapara into a six-lane highway. Three flyovers are also envisioned at three intersections, namely Basistha Chariali, Lokhara Charali, and Garchuk Charali.
The second is to construct a separate bypass on the right hand side of the existing highway from Jalukbari to Jorabat. Existence of forests areas near Basistha may come in the way of execution of the project by NHIDCL. The NHIDCL might face the issue of environment clearance.
The third is to construct an ‘Elevator Road’ above the existing highway.
Sources also informed that the thrust of the NHIDCL is on the second option of constructing a separate bypass.
Irrespective of which option gets the final approval from the Ministry, the Centre is keen to ease the rush of traffic congestion on this stretch which operates as the prime lifeline especially for loaded trucks plying to the entire north-eastern States and also from here to the other parts of the country.