A long-standing demand to widen the highway passing through Kaliabor has inched forward after Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari assured an Assam delegation that the proposal would be looked into.
The delegation, led by Assam minister and Kaliabor MLA Keshab Mahanta, met Gadkari at Parliament House and submitted a memorandum seeking expansion and four-laning of the National Highway stretch from Kaliabor Tiniali to Rangolu.
The road, earlier known as NH-37 and now re-designated as NH-715, serves as one of the main arterial routes in central Assam.
The four-laning proposal has remained pending for nearly three years, causing persistent traffic congestion and connectivity issues in the region. During the meeting, Rajya Sabha MP Birendra Prasad Baishya briefed the Union minister on the present status of the project and flagged concerns over delays and infrastructure bottlenecks along the Kaliabor stretch.
Assam MPs Birendra Prasad Baishya, Phani Bhusan Choudhury and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa attended the meeting. Other members of the delegation included Pradip Laskar, Golap Chandra Saikia, Plawan Bora, Mriganka Bora, Lekhnath Sharma and Subham Damai.
Gadkari assured the delegation that the demand would be duly examined, raising fresh expectations among local residents and commuters who have long been seeking an upgrade of the busy highway corridor.