With Shillong’s traffic congestion steadily worsening and infrastructure struggling to keep pace with rising vehicle numbers, National Executive Member of the BJP and senior party legislator A.L. Hek has said that the proposed construction of a flyover could play a crucial role in easing pressure on the city’s roads. Referring to the proposed alignment from the Rhino area to Barik, Hek said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government is working towards long-term traffic management solutions rather than short-term fixes.
He said discussions are underway on alignment options that would help reduce congestion while ensuring smoother connectivity across major traffic corridors. “The MDA Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma we are planning to construct, build a few flyovers. One proposed flyover will be there soon and I think this will be able to manage to traffic congestion in Shillong city,” Hek said.
On the issue of land acquisition, he acknowledged the challenges involved, noting that most land in the city is not government-owned and belongs to individuals, clans or communities.
“We have to manage and request the land owners, we have do lot of homework, the land here is not Government land all land belong to either individuals or clans or the community, so acquire the land we have to have serious discussion with all the individuals, landowners, clans to part with some land which is simultaneously benefit both Government as well as people,” The former Cabinet Minister said.
Stating that flyovers alone cannot completely resolve traffic problems, Hek said they can still offer partial relief if implemented strategically.
“I agree that building flyovers cannot fully solve the problem of traffic menance but atkeast it can ease the problem to some extent. From time to time we are having meeting, traffic congestion in Shillong is not a new thing,” he said.
The BJP leader added that technical and infrastructural aspects of the proposed flyover are being closely examined and that further studies would be undertaken before the project is finalised.
