highways
India plans to construct $1.3bn worth highways in Arunachal Pradesh Credit: Avik Haldar.

India has laid the foundations for National Highway projects worth Rs95.33bn ($1.3bn) in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The highway projects will help to boost connectivity, improve tourism, and save travel time between the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Foundations for national highways projects were laid at Roing and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh, reported the Press Trust of India.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated bridges across Dibang and Lohit River System.

The minister also laid the foundation for about 96.47 km of national highway projects costing Rs21.14bn ($301m) in Roing.

“The project will see a 5.634km long four-lane bridge constructed across river Ganga on NH-19, parallel to the existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu (MG Setu).”

These projects include laying of two-lanes on the 74.86 km Roing-Hunli section of Hunli-Anini road (NH-313),  the 10.3 km Hunli-Anini section of NH-313, and the 11.31km Hayuliang-Hawai road section of NH-113.

Foundations were also laid for 472km of national highways at Ziro. The cost of this stretch is Rs55.83bn ($797.4m)

These projects at Ziro include the 26.12km Akajan-Likabali-Bame road, two-laning of 351.38km stretch from Potin to Pangin on NH-229.

Earlier this month, the Government of India approved a Rs29.26bn ($415m) project to construct a new bridge over river Ganga in Patna, Bihar.

The project will see a 5.634km long four-lane bridge constructed across river Ganga on NH-19, parallel to the existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu (MG Setu).

Work will take place over the next three and a half years and is scheduled to be completed by January 2023.

The complete 14.5km project includes 5.63km of major bridges, four vehicular underpasses (VUPs), a rail over bridge, four minor bridges, five bus shelters and 13 road junctions.