Centre sanctioned Rs 28,229 crore to build Arunachal Frontier Highway along LAC

Aalo: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 28,229 crore for constructing the 1,637 km Arunachal Frontier Highway connecting 12 districts of the state along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the India-China international border, a top official said.

The ambitious project to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 crore is seen as a move to counter China's aggression in Arunachal Pradesh, besides contributing to the socio-economic development of the border state.

The highway is being constructed along the 'India-Tibet-China-Myanmar' border and the road project will be as close as 20 km from the LAC and international borders.

It will start from Bomdila and pass through Nafra, Huri and Monigong towns, which are closer to the LAC or the McMahon Line, and conclude in Vijaynagar near the India-Myanmar border.

"The Centre has sanctioned Rs 28,229 crore for the Arunachal Frontier Highway, which will connect 1,683 villages. The national highway being built parallel to the MacMohan Line will be completed by 2027," Chief Engineer of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and head of Project Brahmank, Subhash Chandra Lunia, said.

He said work is under progress for constructing the 198 km stretch (Tato-Tuting) of the Arunachal Frontier National Highway-913.

After 2014, the budget for BRO's work in various states has been doubled for road development and maintenance as compared to the previous years, the official said.

Stating that work is underway on projects under the Brahmank Project in Arunachal Pradesh, Lunia said construction and maintenance of road infrastructure is being done in Siang, Upper Siang, West Siang and Shi-Yomi districts along with maintenance of four roads in Assam's Dhemaji district.

In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Brahmank Project constructed a 100-metre span arch bridge on Siom River on Along-Yingkiong road. The construction of Siom bridge was completed in a record time of 180 days and opened for traffic, he said.

Lunia also said that from the day of establishment of the Brahmank Project till today, construction of 17 roads has been completed, whose total length is 496 km.

Along with this, the construction of 42 permanent bridges and 11 modular bridges has also been completed.

The official also said the BRO has always been at the forefront of construction of roads/bridges in favourable and unfavourable weather conditions for the last many years in the state.

Under Brahmank Project, BRO is committed to provide all-weather connectivity to the soldiers as well as the public.