GUWAHATI: The Assam government’s plan to open a portion of the under-construction Noonmati-Dighalipukhuri flyover before the upcoming Bohag Bihu this year seems to be nearly impossible. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma had earlier assured that the Noonmati-Chandmari section of the flyover would be completed before Bohag Bihu (April 14-15) while the Chandmari-Dighalipukhuri stretch would be completed by early 2026.
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Speaking to GPlus on Wednesday, April 2, a senior PWD official, however, did not sound confident about meeting the deadline. “I don’t know... difficulties come up, so let’s see how it goes,” he said.
On Ground Zero at Noonmati, a worker at the flyover construction site told Gplus there is a lot of work left to be done. “Work is going on, but I cannot say whether we can complete before Bihu,” he said adding that disruptions occur from time to time which interfere with work schedule.
A resident of Narengi told Gplus that he uses the Noonmati-Chandmari road while going to office. There are frequent traffic jams in the area. Also, there are construction debris on the road which create a lot of issues for the commuters in the area. Moreover, the condition of the road from Bamunimaidan to Silpukhuri has worsened significantly, thus creating problems for motorists.
Ranjit Das, a local street vendor in the area said that people are facing a lot of issues due to the ongoing construction. And, there are a lot of potholes in the roads connecting Bamunimaidan to Chandmari. Besides, there is a serious issue of water accumulation on the roads, which make them slippery and can lead to serious accidents and casualties. The reduced width of the road due to the construction compounds the problem for motorists.
The Noonmati-Dighalupukhuri flyover is the longest in Assam stretching for a distance of around 6km. The project is estimated to be completed by the mid of 2026.