ITANAGAR, 28 Aug: The Border Roads Organization’s (BRO) Project Brahmank Chief Engineer SC Looniya has said that the double-laning of the 32-km Pene-Tato stretch of the strategically important Aalo-Mechukha road in Shi-Yomi district will be completed by March 2026.
Admitting that the project has been delayed, Looniya attributed the delay to land acquisition on a stretch of the road.
He said, “We want to complete the formation-cutting immediately, to ensure that commuters don’t face problems like road closure due to formation cutting and equipment movement. The stretch with all parameters will be completed, so that people get a safe, secure, satisfactory-level road connectivity.”
Looniya said that the BRO’s aim is to at least provide all-weather connectivity from Kaying in Siang district to Tato soon.
“We are committed and are working vigorously to extend NH 13 to far-flung areas of Tato,” he said.
The chief engineer, however, said that blacktopping of the road will take some time.
On the Tato-Mechukha stretch, Looniya said that the 14 bridges along the Tato-Mechukha stretch have been awarded to a contractor and work on these bridges are in various stages.
He said the work on the 12-km Yarlung-Trijunction road, including the 140 ft steel modular bridge has started and will be completed within two years, while the 16-km Yarlung-Lamang road has already been completed.
The DPR for the 14-km Lamang-Lola Road is under preparation, he said.
He said the roads under the National Highway Single Lane (NHSL) will provide road connectivity to forces stationed in forward areas.
The chief engineer said also that the Migging-Tuting road will be completed soon.
Only 15 km of formation cutting is left, and the surfacing work is being planned this year, he said, adding that if weather permits, the work will be completed by March 2026.
The chief engineer said also that if the government allows, they are willing to take up the maintenance of NH 13, Akajan-Likabali-Bam road.
It will be beneficial for movement of BRO personnel stationed in Daporijo (Upper Subansiri), Aalo (West Siang), Yingkiong (Upper Siang), and Mechukha (Shi-Yomi), he said.
The Akajan-Likabali-Bam-Aalo road was constructed by the BRO in the 1960s before it was awarded to the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd in June 2015 for double-laning.
Several portions of the road are in pathetic condition and in many places the road is not fit for traffic movement and has invited the ire of the locals.
NH 13 connects Likabali in Lower Siang district to Aalo in West Siang. It further connects Mechukha in Shi-Yomi district.
Project Bhahmank under the BRO is headquartered in Pasighat in East Siang district. (PTI)
