Mega road project to begin after election

The work to create an alternate route of National Highway-34 to reach North Bengal by connecting Moregram in Murshidabad and Mechhogram in East Midnapore is all set to begin after the election.

The West Bengal Highway Development Corporation Limited (WBHDCL) has taken up the project to connect the two places by widening around 140 km of the existing road and constructing around 70 km new road. The total stretch of the road is of 230 km.

According to a senior official, the road passing through six districts including Murshidabad, Birbhum, Burdwan, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore will benefit around 40 per cent of the state’s populace. 

With the completion of this project the road connectivity will improve between North East states and West Bengal.

Heavy vehicles will not have to take the long route to reach Haldia Port. Vehicles from Assam and North Bengal can take the road to reach port without entering the city.

The project will cost Rs 4500 crore. Asian Development Bank is giving Rs 500 million dollars for the project and the state government is bearing rest of the cost.

Three bypasses between Ghatal-Arambagh, Burdwan-Phutishanko and a bypass near Moregram will be constructed. The work, essential to carry out before starting the project is going on, said an official. 

He added that land acquisition process will start at some places after the election. 

There won’t be any problem with land acquisition to construct around 70 km of the road as the areas have already been identified and preliminary talk with the land owners is also complete. 

The people are ready to handover the land for the development project.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had told the district officials in a review meeting that they must concentrate on the development work in addition to their duty for the election.

Some stretches of the road will be of two lanes while there will be four lanes in a major part. 

The road starting from Mechhogram at Haldia in East Midnapore will pass through Ghatal, Arambagh, Burdwan, Phutishanko, Kullee and end at Moregram in Murshidabad. 

The work will take place in seven packages and the work of package I and II will be undertaken first. “It will take around five years to complete the project,” said a senior WBHDCL official.

Authorities of three districts -- Burdwan, East Midnapore and Murshidabad, held a meeting a few days ago and chalked out a roadmap to assure that nothing hinders the project.