Imphal: The largest cross-border road expedition in the country, Road to London, 2018, organised by Adventures Overland, was flagged off on Monday from Hotel Classic Grande here by Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh.

The chief minister announced that the Centre has earmarked Rs 1,600 crore to upgrade the Imphal-Moreh road to a four-lane one.

A total of 26 individuals, eight of them women, from different corners of the country and three organising members are taking part in the expedition in 15 sport utility vehicles.

The longest expedition of the country from Imphal to London will cover 18 countries, 16,000km in a span of 49 days.

Biren Singh gave his best wishes on behalf of the people of the state to the participants. He said such cross-border expeditions would help promote the Northeast.

The expedition is being led by two avid travellers of the organiser company, Sanjay Madan, an off-road expert, and Tushar Agarwal, a travel writer.

Local guides and escorts will be accompanying them in all the 16 countries.

The Thailand tourism department will support the expedition by hoisting welcome flags and organising networking dinners with dances. It will also support the flagging-off ceremonies in Imphal and Tak and Chiang Khong in Thailand.

He said the expedition would be the most memorable adventure of the participants. Road trips to 18 countries are not only rare but also involve a lot of formalities, he added. He said the expedition will also facilitate cultural exchanges with others countries.

The organisers are planning to turn it into an annual affair.