The Centre has approved a funding of Rs 282.29 billion for the construction of the 1,637 km Arunachal Frontier Highway, which will connect 12 districts of the state along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the India-China border.
This ambitious project, estimated to cost Rs 400 billion, is viewed as a strategic initiative to counter China's aggression in Arunachal Pradesh while also contributing to the socio-economic development of the border state.
The highway is being built along the India-Tibet-China-Myanmar border, with parts of the road located as close as 20 km to the LAC and international borders. The route will begin from Bomdila and pass through towns like Nafra, Huri, and Monigong, which are near the LAC or the McMahon Line, ultimately reaching Vijaynagar near the India-Myanmar border.
Subhash Chandra Lunia, the chief engineer of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and head of Project Brahmank, shared that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 282.29 billion for the Arunachal Frontier Highway, which will connect 1,683 villages. The national highway, which runs parallel to the McMahon Line, is expected to be completed by 2027.
Lunia added that work is currently ongoing for the construction of the 198 km stretch (Tato-Tuting) of the Arunachal Frontier National Highway-913.
The official also mentioned that after 2014, the budget for BRO's road development and maintenance projects across various states had been doubled compared to previous years.
Lunia further elaborated that work is in progress for projects under the Brahmank Project in Arunachal Pradesh, which involves the construction and maintenance of road infrastructure in the Siang, Upper Siang, West Siang, and Shi-Yomi districts, as well as the maintenance of four roads in Assam's Dhemaji district.
During 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Brahmank Project completed the construction of a 100-meter span arch bridge on the Siom River along the Along-Yingkiong road. The Siom bridge was built in a record time of 180 days and was subsequently opened for traffic.
