CCEA approves widening of Asian Highway project's Manipur stretch

The government on Wednesday said it has cleared the widening and upgradation of 65 km Imphal-Moreh stretch in Manipur which is part of the Asian Highway project, providing road connectivity to eastern nations like Thailand.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave the approval for the stretch that will cost Rs 1,630.29 crore, on NH 39.

It also approved 4-laning of Solapur-Bijapur Section of New NH-52 in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Four Laning of about 110 km road is estimated to cost Rs 1,889 crore including the cost of land acquisition and pre-construction activities.

"It (Imphal-Moreh) is connecting India to Myanmar. Then we can go to Bangkok and then to Indonesia to Malaysia. So it is the length which is connecting internationally," Road Transport, Shipping and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters.

"It is going to create more employment and business in that area particularly in Manipur. It will be a growth engine for North-East region of the country," he said.

Landlocked Manipur, with almost 90 per cent of the area under difficult terrain, has only road transport as a means of mass transport system.

Gadkari said the project is being developed with ADB's loan assistance under the South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Investment Program.