Guwahati: The Meghalaya government has proposed building an elevated four-lane road from Umiam to Rilbong, bypassing the Umiam dam, to reduce traffic congestion on the busy Guwahati Secretariat (GS) Road.
This new route aims to lift the restrictions on heavy vehicles, including night super buses, which have been barred from entering the city via the dam for over a year due to retrofitting work.
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The proposed road, stretching 14.85 kilometers, would avoid the dam entirely and could potentially connect to the Shillong-Dawki road or extend as an overpass from Rilbong to Barik, pending approval from the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL).
The government has already tasked a consultant team with preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to assess the road’s alignment and feasibility.
Once approved, the new route will shorten the travel time and distance between Umiam and Shillong and eliminate traffic delays caused by the current restrictions at the dam.
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While the drive from Guwahati to Umiam usually takes about 90 minutes, the final 14–15 kilometers to Shillong often takes one to two hours due to severe traffic bottlenecks.
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