The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Thursday (February 29) sanctioned an allocation of Rs 6,728.33 crore for the construction of eight stretches on NH-913 (Frontier Highway) in Arunachal Pradesh.
According to an official statement, these stretches, totaling 305.50 km, will be developed as Intermediate Lane Roads under the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode.
Connectivity to border areas
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari underscored the significance of this development in enhancing connectivity to border areas, thereby fostering socio-economic progress.
Gadkari emphasised that the construction of the Frontier Highway is expected to mitigate migration while encouraging reverse habitation towards the border regions of Arunachal Pradesh.
Frontier highways projects
Furthermore, Gadkari highlighted that these frontier highway stretches will play a pivotal role in establishing essential road infrastructure, linking significant river basins, and facilitating the development of numerous hydropower projects in the state.
He noted that this predominantly greenfield road will connect sparsely populated Upper Arunachal areas, which hold great potential for tourism, projecting increased traffic due to burgeoning tourism in the future.
In another update, Gadkari announced that the ministry has approved Rs 3,549.48 crore for the construction and strengthening of various National Highways projects in Madhya Pradesh, further demonstrating the government’s commitment to improving the country’s road infrastructure.