GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh is set to begin an ambitious infrastructure project aimed at bolstering strategic connectivity along its borders. Chief Minister Pema Khandu, on Thursday, revealed plans to construct a 1,500 km-long Frontier Highway, which will run parallel to the India-Tibet-China-Myanmar border, bringing transformative changes in road connectivity.
The Chief Minister informed that the Frontier Highway’s completion will serve as a powerful deterrent to migration from border areas and facilitate the much-needed development in remote regions. He estimated the entire project’s cost at approximately Rs 40,000 crore.
The “futuristic highway”, located just 20 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and international borders, holds immense strategic significance, not only for the state but also for the Indian Army. Beginning in Bomdila, the Frontier Highway will traverse Nafra, Huri, and Monigong, coming closer to the LAC, or the McMahon Line, and culminating near the India-Myanmar border in Vijaynagar.
This extensive road network will connect several key regions, including Tawang, Mago Upper Subansiri, Upper Siang, Mechuka, Tuting, Dibang Valley, Kibithoo, Changlang, and Dong. Moreover, it will integrate with the ongoing Trans-Arunachal Highway project, an 1,811 km-long national highway that spans from Tawang to Kanubari, culminating near the NH-52 close to the Bogibeel bridge in Assam.
This ambitious endeavour will run parallel to Yangtse, the site of a Chinese PLA incursion in December of the previous year, which led to a skirmish with Indian Army troops, resulting in injuries on both sides. The Frontier Highway will significantly enhance connectivity to the state capital, major population centres, economic hubs, and important hydroelectric power project sites.
In addition to the Frontier Highway, the state plans to construct an additional 1,000 km of roads connecting district headquarters, key locations, and villages to facilitate the movement of armed forces and equipment to border areas.
