Guwahati To Transform Into 'Gateway To Southeast Asia': CM Himanta Inaugurates City's Longest Flyover Project

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that the Assam government has been working relentlessly to transform the state into a developed one shortly.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inspecting the model of the longest flyover in Guwahati.

Source : Assam CM, PR cell

Guwahati: Adding another chapter towards the Assam government’s initiatives aimed at transforming Guwahati, the largest city in northeast India, into the “Gateway to Southeast Asia” and to ease the city’s traffic congestion woes, state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday laid the foundation stone for a 4-lane ‘elevated corridor,’ or a flyover, measuring 5,053.20 metres in length and standing at a minimum height of 5.70 metres, to be built at a projected cost of Rs 852.68 crore.

The flyover would connect the city’s Dighalipukhuri area with Noonmati and have extended arms towards the Gopinath Bordoloi (GNB) road, West Dighalipukhuri road, and Rajgarh road. To be built under the overall supervision of the Assam government’s Public Works (Roads) Department, the elevated corridor, to be the longest in the city on its completion, is scheduled to become operational by 2026, the Chief Minister’s public relations cell stated in a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that the Assam government has been working relentlessly to transform the state into a developed one shortly.

“The design of the flyover for which the foundation stone has been laid today is a manifestation of the fact that the state is moving towards a new dawn. Elements such as a rotary over the existing flyover at the Chandmari area, rotary over the existing rotary at Guwahati Club area, would mark a new beginning in the field of road infrastructure engineering in the state,” Chief Minister Sarma said.

Chief Minister Sarma exuded confidence that the flyover on its completion would aid in seamless and smooth traffic movement in Guwahati for the next 25 years.

“The government shall take all measures possible to minimise inconveniences to the general public during the period of construction of the flyover. The aim is to complete the construction activities within two years and six months. Apart from easing traffic woes, the flyover would also provide a boost to the business establishments along the Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati stretch of road by providing the much-needed parking spaces that would be available below the flyover,” Chief Minister Sarma said.  

Indicating the state government’s commitment towards incorporating eco-friendly measures in policy-making, Chief Minister Sarma said there will be a departure from the earlier practice of felling trees, and instead, the focus will be on using technologies such as transplanting or relocating trees for the construction of the flyover. Referring to the massive public infrastructure development projects currently at various stages of development or are scheduled to be launched, the Chief Minister said that all such initiatives collectively would transform Guwahati into a city that would be comparable to some of the highly urbanised cities in the rest of the country, the release added.

“A stretch of the ongoing river-front development project on the south bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river in Guwahati shall be ceremonially opened for the public on January 19 which would immensely boost the city’s tourism potential. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) section of the project shall be completed within six months. The Kamakhya corridor development project, on its completion, would contribute significantly towards religious tourism and pilgrimage. The works on the upcoming ropeway project connecting Kamakhya railway station with the Kamakhya temple shall begin very soon,” Chief Minister Sarma added.

Chief Minister Sarma declared that Mission Basundhara 4.0, aimed exclusively at resolving land-related issues in Guwahati, shall be launched by the government and that he shall be visiting the office of Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner (DC) at a regular interval of 15 days to streamline its work-culture. He expressed hopes that the outcomes of all the above and other initiatives would be visible for all to see in the days to come and Guwahati would one day transform into the “Gateway to Southeast Asia.”