Assam’s Asom Mala Road Works Set for Completion by March 31, 2028

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Assam is witnessing a major expansion of its road infrastructure, with priority roads being widened to double-lane standards under different tranches of the Asom Mala scheme, while several major bridge, flyover and highway projects are progressing across the state.

Under Asom Mala 1.0, road projects covering around 1,056 km have been sanctioned. Of these, approximately 664 km have been completed, while the remaining works are targeted for completion by March 2027.

Under Asom Mala 2.0, another 997 km of road works have been sanctioned, with 483 km already completed. The remaining works are scheduled to be completed by March 2028. Meanwhile, Asom Mala 3.0 has recently been sanctioned with a target of taking up around 897 km of road works, with completion targeted by March 2028.

According to the Public Works Roads Department (PWRD), Assam, around 14,000 km of road works, including strengthening and lane-widening works, were ongoing at the beginning of the current financial year under various sanctioned projects. According to a status report, a large number of additional projects, like bridges, are also in the pipeline, with one already completed.

The six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati has already been completed and opened to the public. Moreover, construction of a four-lane extradosed PSC bridge connecting Palashbari with Sualkuchi is currently underway. The project is targeted for completion by June 2028.

The government has also prioritised replacement of wooden bridges and construction of bridges across previously unbridged sections. Under the World Bank-funded Assam Resilient Rural Bridges Programme (ARRBP), a total of 1,184 bridges have been taken up at an estimated project cost of Rs 4,816 crore.

Of the 1,184 bridges, 956 have been selected for construction, while the remaining projects are awaiting necessary clearances. Of the selected bridges, 701 have been awarded to contractors, with the rest at different stages of award and evaluation. So far, 30 bridges have been completed. The overall physical progress of the programme stands at 19.5 per cent, with the project closing date fixed for June 28, 2030.

Apart from road widening, the PWRD is also implementing projects involving flyovers and railway overbridges (ROBs) to reduce congestion in busy urban areas and eliminate railway level crossings.

A major elevated corridor project in Silchar, announced in the state budget, has also been sanctioned. The construction of an elevated corridor on NH-306 from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar (Phase-I) has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 564.50 crore, and the contract has already been awarded.

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