GUWAHATI: Construction of five pedestrian footbridges along National Highway-27 in Guwahati is currently underway as part of a major road safety initiative aimed at reducing accidents involving pedestrians.
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The decision was announced on Monday, August 3, by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma following a fatal accident at Lalmati that renewed concerns over the safety of people crossing the busy highway. The new footbridges are being built at Tetelia, the Garbhanga stretch near Gorchuk, the Royal Global University point, Sarusajai and Lalmati along the Jalukbari-Khanapara corridor.
Each footbridge is being constructed at an estimated cost of ₹30-35 lakh. According to officials, work is progressing as scheduled, and all five structures are expected to be completed before the Durga Puja festival.
The initiative comes in response to repeated incidents in which pedestrians lost their lives while attempting to cross the heavily trafficked highway. Authorities had earlier installed iron grills along the road divider to discourage unsafe crossings, but accidents continued to be reported.
Once completed, the footbridges are expected to provide safer crossing points for pedestrians while also improving the smooth flow of traffic along one of Guwahati's busiest highway stretches.