Shillong, Apr 2: The Meghalaya government will find ways to remove hurdles related to the proposed expansion of the national highway-40 from Shillong to Tamabil, about 95km, in which funding is being routed through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The project was estimated at Rs 1,251 crore where a four-lane road would come up from Umshyrpi to 7th Miles, Upper Shillong and the rest of the stretch upto Tamabil is double lane.

From Umshyrpi to 7th Miles, the requirement of land from the army is 3.21 hectares for the construction of 1.42 km road, and 1.5 hectares will be required from the Air Force for building 1.1 km road at Upper Shillong.

The project includes construction of a new Bridge over the Umngot river at Dawki, and this highway will also link with Bangladesh.

Public Works Department (Roads) Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters on Monday that the DPR is prepared by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the corporation would also float a tender for the project.

He said that the stretch below Pynursla upto Tamabil was almost finalized, the portion from Umshyrpi to 3rd Mile, Upper Shillong is facing some hurdles as the alignment has to pass through a reserve forest instead of the existing highway.

Tynsong will convene a meeting with officials of the forest department, PWD (Roads) and regional officer of the MoEF to resolve the issue.

“The new bridge will be the second longest, and in terms of distance from the bridge down to the water surface beneath the bridge, it would be the deepest in the world,” he said.

The new bridge has to be built as the single-lane suspension bridge built by the British in 1932 is old and weak.

The new bridge will be of 368 meters length and 12.5 meters width.

Tynsong said that for constructing a new bridge at Dawki, India has to follow international guidelines which stated that no permanent structure should be constructed within 150 yards from the international border.