Jorhat, Aug. 17: The ministry of road transport and highways has sanctioned Rs 11 crore for the construction of a two-lane highway connecting Golaghat town with National Highway 39.

Work on the 7km highway will start within the next few months. The tender process has already been completed. The new highway is part of the Centre’s policy to connect every district headquarters town with national highways.

Golaghat town is the only district headquarters in Upper Assam that is not connected with a national highway. Similar highways would be constructed in at least five lower and central Assam districts.

“The new two-lane highway will link Rangajan Tinali on NH 39 with Golaghat town, which will help in a big way for development of the town,” said R.C. Bordoloi, executive engineer of the public works department in Golaghat.

He said a proposal to construct the highway from Dergaon to Golaghat town connecting NH 37 was sent earlier, but the length of the highway turned out to be around 24km, which was too long. Therefore, the idea was shelved.

Bordoloi said despite Golaghat being a historically important place, development had not really touched the town. “This is mainly because of lack of proper roads. With the new two-lane highway coming up by next year, we expect better connectivity with the town,” he said.

Golaghat, which was one of the largest subdivisions of Assam, was later elevated to a full-fledged district on August 15, 1987, and is the headquarters of Golaghat district. It is nearly 300km east of Guwahati.

At present, Golaghat town is connected to NH 37 at Dergaon by a single-lane road and a similar road links the town with NH 39 at Rangajan Tinali.

Bordoloi said the new highway would be constructed on the existing Golaghat town-Rangajan Tinali road.

“We will have no problems in acquiring land for construction of the highway since the land on either side of the existing road belongs to the government. There are a few places that are being encroached upon and we will soon carry out an eviction drive to clear these places,” he said.

Bordoloi said the railways had also been contacted in this regard since a stretch of the highway crossed a railway track just near Golaghat town. “The railways will do the needful to broaden the particular portion of the highway through which the railway track will pass,” he said.