Itanagar: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has announced that the double-laning of the 32-km Pene-Tato stretch on the strategically important Aalo-Mechuka road in Shi-Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh, is expected to be completed by March 2026.
Chief Engineer of Project Brahmank, S.C. Looniya, admitted that the project has faced delays, largely due to issues with land acquisition.
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โWe aim to complete formation-cutting immediately to ensure commuters donโt face disruptions due to road closures or equipment movement. Once completed, the stretch will meet all safety and connectivity standards,โ Looniya said.
He added that the ultimate goal is to provide all-weather road connectivity from Kaying in Siang district to Tato.
The chief engineer noted that while black-topping will take additional time, significant progress has been made on other stretches. On the Tato-Mechuka stretch, 14 bridges have been awarded to contractors, with construction underway at various stages.
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Work has also begun on the 12-km Yarlung-Trijunction road, including a 140-ft steel modular bridge, expected to be completed within two years, while the 16-km Yarlung-Lamang road has already been finished. The DPR for the 14-km Lamang-Lola road is currently under preparation.
Looniya said the roads under the National Highway Single Lane programme will enhance connectivity for forces stationed in forward areas.
The Migging-Tuting road is nearing completion, with only 15 km of formation-cutting left. Surfacing work is being planned this year, and if weather conditions permit, the stretch will be finished by March 2026.
He further added that BRO is willing to take up maintenance of the NH-13 Akajan-Likabali-Bam road, which would benefit the movement of personnel in Daporijo, Aalo, Yingkiong, and Mechuka.
Originally constructed by BRO in the 1960s, the road was transferred to the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd in 2015 for double-laning, but several portions have deteriorated, affecting traffic and drawing complaints from locals.
The NH-13 connects Likabali in Lower Siang district to Aalo in West Siang and extends further to Mechuka in Shi-Yomi district. Project Brahmank, overseeing these developments, is headquartered in Pasighat, East Siang district.