Shillong, Oct. 27: The proposed expansion of National Highway 40 in Meghalaya, a vital link with Bangladesh, is all set to be in motion.

Today, Meghalaya PWD (roads) minister Martin M. Danggo chaired a high-level meeting in the presence of border areas development minister Prestone Tynsong and urban affairs minister Ronnie V. Lyngdoh at the main secretariat here.

They discussed the proposed widening of the 71km national highway from Shillong to Dawki. The project, estimated at around Rs 1,251 crore, is supposed to be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Officials from the PWD (roads) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) and a member of the JICA's study team, Nakamura Jun, attended the meeting.

Widening the Shillong-Dawki road, including construction of a new bridge over the Umngot river at Dawki, is necessary as the national highway is connecting with Bangladesh, and the proposed India-Bangladesh friendship bus service from Dhaka to Guwahati via Shillong is also passing through its route.

Danggo told reporters that the estimated cost, excluding land acquisition for the project, would be funded by JICA.

Of the 71km, the highway will be converted into a four-lane one for about 15km from Umshyrpi bridge here up to Mylliem. The rest of stretch will be double-laned.

According to Danggo, the major project is all set to be in motion and he has already held preliminary discussions with the defence authorities on the need to part with some portion of their land for expanding the highway as an army station and an air force station are located alongside.

He said the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council had already agreed to issue a no-objection certificate for acquiring land along the whole stretch.

On the delay to build a new bridge over the Umngot river at Dawki despite the foundation stone was laid by then Union minister of state, Mahadev Singh Khandela in 2009 when he was the minister for PWD (roads), Danggo said construction could not take off in the past years due to the ongoing finalisation of the land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh.

Dawki, a border town in West Jaintia Hills district, is one of the important trade routes between Bangladesh and the northeastern states.

The Centre has planned several transport corridors between India and Bangla-desh through Dawki, including setting up of an integrated checkpost.

A new bridge over the Umngot at Dawki is required as the existing single lane 136-metre suspension bridge is old and unable to bear the weight of heavy vehicles.

The old bridge was built by the British in 1932 as an overland link between then provinces of East Bengal and Assam.

According to officials of the NHIDCL, the new bridge at Dawki will be 368 metres long and 12.5 metres wide.

The officials said that the process for land acquisition is expected to commence soon, adding that tenders for widening the highway will be floated only after land acquisition and other formalities are completed.

The period to complete the project is two-and-a-half years from the date of allotment of work. A member of JICA's study team, Nakamura Jun, said after he completes the feasibility study of the project, he will submit a report to JICA next month. "I have been here for a few months now to conduct a social and environment study for this particularly project. After submitting my report, JICA will take a call on funding for the project."