NHIDCL to develop NH-17 from Chaygaon to LGBI Airport

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Central Government has decided to upgrade the two-lane Bilasipara-LGBI (Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International) Airport stretch of National Highway-17 to a four-lane one under the Bharatmala Pariyojana to make traffic in lower Assam hassle free.

The Jalukbari-LGBI Airport road in Guwahati is a four-lane one. On the contrary, the Goalpara-LGBI Airport stretch of the highway is a two-lane road. To make traffic to the LGBI Airport from lower Assam hassle free, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways decided to engage the NHIDCL (National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd) to develop the Goalpara-LGBI Airport road.

The NHIDCL floated a tender seeking bidders for Package 10 of the National Highway on the Bilasipara-Guwahati Road (NH-17) for the stretch from Milmila RF (before Chaygaon Market) to the approach road of the LGBI Airport Junction (VIP Chowk), and for its widening with paved shoulders and improving the road to a four-lane one. The estimated cost of the package, including utility shifting, is Rs 744.49 crore. The time schedule for the 26.316-km project is 30 months. After completion of the project, the contractor will have to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining this stretch of the national highway for five years. The NHIDCL will execute the project in the EPC (Engineering, Project, and Construction) mode.

NHIDCL expects that work on the project will start in this calendar year after the appointment of the contractor. On completion, the project will benefit lower Assam and Meghalaya by making their traffic hassle free.

Also Read: Two stretches of NH-17 to be made 4-lane in Assam

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