[ Indu Chukhu & Harshwardhan Pillai ]
ITANAGAR, 15 Jul: Work under Package B of National Highway (NH) 415 is still going on at a snail’s pace, while exceeding its stipulated deadline.
According to Chief Engineer (Highways) CS Choutang, the overall physical progress of the project currently stands at 44.56 percent, while 55.44 percent of the work is still pending.
The distance of the flyover is 3.95 kms from Hotel Benjamin in Papu Nallah to Model Village in Naharlagun.
The flyover project, taken up under the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), was originally scheduled for completion by 7 December, 2024. The deadline has now been officially extended to 31 July, 2026, informed Choutang.
As per the department’s records, the total sanctioned cost is Rs 341.71 crore, and as of now, Rs 151.64 crore has already been released for the ongoing work.
At present, the construction activities include road formation, widening, levelling to achieve the final road level (FRL), and pier erection. These activities are taking place along a busy stretch of the road, which has led to diversion of regular traffic. Vehicles have been rerouted through three alternative routes – via Lekhi village, Borum, and Barapani.
These alternative routes are mainly narrow residential roads that were not designed to handle the level of traffic currently passing through them. Over the past few months, residents have raised concerns over increased traffic, dusty and damaged roads, and waterlogging during rains. In particular, the Lekhi route becomes difficult to navigate during rains due to water accumulation, while on dry days, heavy dust from the unpaved sections affects visibility and the environment around residential areas.
Chief Engineer Choutang said that the diversion is necessary due to the active construction work taking place on the main stretch.
“The road diversion has been necessitated to facilitate road formation, widening, levelling to obtain the designed FRL and construction of the flyover piers on the stretch between the Yupia road junction and the Barapani bridge,” he said. “The traffic diversion at this stretch is likely to continue for another one month. The delay in opening this stretch to regular traffic is basically due to frequent disruption by frequent heavy rains for the past two months disrupting our targets,” he added.
The Borum route, in particular, has seen high traffic movement over recent weeks. On 15 June, a tragic road accident occurred on the Borum bridge, where two individuals riding a scooter died after colliding with a dumper truck. The incident brought attention to the strain these narrow diversions are facing and the risks involved, especially for two-wheeler riders. While traffic police have occasionally been deployed to manage peak-hour congestion, many residents feel stronger traffic regulation measures are needed until the main route is reopened.
Pedestrian infrastructure is also a concern. The department has confirmed that there will be no footpath provided along the 3.950 km flyover stretch, which has raised concerns among civil society groups and local residents who rely on walking for daily travel along the corridor.
Despite the delays, work on the site continues steadily. The remaining construction work is focused primarily on the flyover section, which includes structural piers and superstructure segments. Officials say progress is closely tied to the region’s unpredictable weather patterns, and any improvement in conditions would help accelerate pending work.
With a little over half the project still pending and traffic diversions expected to continue for at least another month, commuters and residents are advised to remain cautious while using the alternative routes and follow traffic advisories when issued. The highway division has assured that efforts are being made to complete the project efficiently and safely under the revised timeline.
The original contractor is M/s Woodhill-Shivam (JV), with SPS Technocrats Pvt Ltd as sub-contractor.