INVC,
Guwahati,
Oscar Fernandes, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways inaugurated and dedicated yesterday recently completed 2-lane flyover on NH-37 near Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport near VIP Chowk to the Nation in Guwahati. The other dignitaries present at the ceremony were Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) (DONER), Shri Sarvey Sathyanarayana, Union Minister of State (Road Transport & Highways), Smt. Ajanta Neog, PWD Minister, Government of Assam, Shri Akon Bora, Minister (Social Welfare), Government of Assam, Shri Hemanta Talukdar, local MLA, Shri Vijay Chhibber, Secretary(Road Transport & Highways) and Shri Jitesh Khosla, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam. The commissioning of this flyover is expected to ease the traffic congestion at Airport Junction point to a great extent as it would facilitate uninterrupted plying of vehicles coming from Goalpara side across the Flyover towards Guwahati, without having to face traffic hassles at the erstwhile intersection point. This will result in lesser vehicle operating cost and result into considerable saving in travel time along the highway. Adequate arrangements have been made for entry and exit of traffic to the LGBI airport by provisions of ways below the flyover viaduct and other service roads alongside the structure. The 4-laning of existing NH-37 from km 134 to km 140 including the construction of the flyover was sanctioned for a total estimated cost of Rs. 46.16 crore in October 2008. The revised sanction of the project was accorded in September 2011 for a total estimated cost of Rs. 55.58 crore on account of change in scope. The entire highway from LGBI airport junction point to Jalukbari has been taken up for 4-laning by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways including a 2.5 km bypass to Guwahati University. Work on the latter part from Dharapur (km 140.00 of NH 37) to Jalukbari (Km 146.300 of NH 37), is also gaining momentum and is expected to be completed by March 2014. The commissioning of this project along with the recently completed flyover and the 4-laning of km 134 – 140 of NH-37 would give a major fillip to development of highway infrastructure of the State.
