Arunachal Frontier Highway Explained

Header Type:UC
Country:IND
Arunachal Frontier Highway
Length Km:1748
Direction A:West
Direction B:East
Terminus A:Bomdila
Terminus B:Vijaynagar in Changlang district
States:Arunachal Pradesh
Cities:Nafra, Sarli, Huri, Mechuka, Tuting, Hunli, Hayuliang, Hawai, Miao, Kharsang,

Arunachal Frontier Highway (AFH), officially notified as the National Highway NH-913 and also called Bomdila-Vijaynagar Highway (BVH), connecting Bomdila Airstrip ALG & HQ in northwest to Vijaynagar Airstrip ALG & HQ in southeast via Nafra HQ-Sarli HQ-Huri Helipad ALG & HQ-Nacho HQ-Mechuka Airstrip ALG & HQ-Monigong HQ-Jido (Tuting Airstrip ALG & HQ)-Hunli HQ-Hayuliang Airstrip ALG HQ-Chenquenty-Hawai HQ-Miao HQ (with Miao-Kharsang HQ spur) including 800 km greenfield section and network of new tunnels & bridges, is a 2-lane paved-shoulder under-construction national highway along the India-China LAC-McMahon Line border in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The 1748km (1,086miles) highway itself will cost and total cost including 6 additional inter-corridors is . In some places, this highway will run as close as 20 km from the LAC. To be constructed by MoRTH in 9 packages, all packages will be approved by the end of fy 2024-25 (March 2025) and construction will be completed in 2 years by 31 March 2027.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Of the total route, 800km is greenfield, rest brownfield will be upgraded and tunnels will be built.[7] This highway in the north & east Arunachal along the China border, would complement the Trans-Arunachal Highway (through the middle of Arunachal) and the Arunachal East-West Corridor (in south Arunachal in foothills along the Assam border) as major highways spanning the whole state, pursuing the Look East connectivity policy.[8] [9]

History

In 2016, empowered committee on border infrastructure asked the MoRTH to prepare the detailed project reports (DPR) as per the alignment agreed by the home ministry, defence ministry & Arunachal state government. In 2018, Home ministry enhanced the alignment for the additional connectivity.[1] [2] MoRTH identifies the highway as one of the 29 corridors close to the 3,600 km international border, to be undertaken as a NHDP (which has been subsumed by the Bharatmala project), though there is "little habitation" along the proposed route and only "small stretches of minor roads".[4]

Benefits

Various sources in the Government of India and media have mentioned the following reasons to build the highway:[4] [5] [6]

Construction

It will be constructed in the following nine packages,[10] all approvals and land acquisition will be progressively completed by March 2025, and the construction will be progressively completed by March 2027[1] [2] in fully government-funded "engineering procure and construct" (EPC) mode.

Route alignment

The high-altitude highway will originate from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang district and meander through the following border areas of Arunachal Pradesh along the McMahon Line: West Kameng district; East Kameng district; Upper Subansiri district; Mechuka in West Siang district; Tuting in Upper Siang district; Dibang Valley district; Desali in Lower Dibang Valley district; Chaglagam, Kibithu, Dong and Hawai all in Anjaw district; and end at Vijaynagar in Changlang district at the junction of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Myanmar.[5] The map of alignment can be seen here.[13]

Alignment by district, from west to east:[1] [2]

Spurs

Also proposed is a 100 km long western spur from Tawang to Yongphulla Airport in Bhutan (upgraded by India and jointly used by the Indian Army and Bhutan Army)[14] in eastern Bhutan via Lumla-Yabab in India and Trashigang in Bhutan.

Six Inter-corridor highways

To providing missing interconnectivity between three horizontal national highways across Arunachal Pradesh - Frontier Highway, Trans-Arunachal Highway and East-West Industrial Corridor Highway - following six vertical and diagonal national highway corridors of total 2178 km length will be built, which will also provide faster access to geostrategically important areas on India-China LAC.[15] [16]

Listed west to east.

Other wider connectivity

The highway will intersect with the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor Highway in the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh from Bhairabkunda, the tri-junction of Bhutan, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to Ruksin in East Siang district.[3] It will also connect to the Trans-Arunachal Highway.

The highway will pass through the BCIM Economic Corridor proposed by the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation (BCIM Forum),[3] [4] a multi-mode corridor that includes a highway from Calcutta in India's West Bengal state to Kunming in China's Yunnan province. As well as Arunachal Pradesh, the highway passes through the Indian states of Manipur and Assam.[17]

The highway will cross the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, which may raise environmental issues.

Tourism

See also: Tourism in Northeast India and Tourism in Northeast India.

Current status

See also

Arunachal Pradesh connectivity projects
Northeast connectivity projects
National highways

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eye on China, govt plans a 1,700-km 'frontier highway' . Times of India . 19 December 2022.
  2. Web site: As LAC skirmishes increase, India to build a 1,700-km highway in Arunachal Pradesh. . WION . 19 December 2022.
  3. Web site: Narendra Modi government to provide funds for restoration of damaged highways . Diligent Media Corporation Ltd . 27 October 2014.
  4. News: Top officials to meet to expedite road building along China border. Dipak Kumar. Dash. The Times of India. 26 May 2019.
  5. Web site: Indian Government Plans Highway Along Disputed China Border. Ankit Panda. thediplomat.com. 27 October 2014.
  6. Web site: Govt planning road along McMohan line in Arunachal Pradesh: Kiren Rijiju . 14 October 2014 . Live Mint . 2014-10-26.
  7. https://hindi.news18.com/news/nation/border-with-china-in-north-east-more-secure-1748-km-lfrontier-highway-built-spending-27000-crores-5075205.html नॉर्थ ईस्ट में चीन के साथ लगी सीमा होगी और सुरक्षित, 27000 करोड़ खर्च कर बनेगा 1748 KM लंबा 'फंटियर हाईवे'
  8. https://www.northeasttoday.in/arunachal-dy-cm-lays-foundation-stone-of-bridge-over-bari-river/ Arunachal Dy CM Lays Foundation Stone of Bridge over Bari River
  9. Web site: 2024-07-13 . Arunachal Frontier Highway - Route Map, Cost, Progress, and More - Infra Info Hub . 2024-07-13 . en-US.
  10. https://morth.nic.in/invitation-rfp-consultancy-services-preparation-dpr-frontier-highway-nafra-vijaynagar-state Frontier Highway
  11. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rs-3890-crore-sanctioned-for-three-packages-of-strategic-frontier-highway-in-arunachal-that-will-run-close-to-border/articleshow/107467677.cms Sources said so far the ministry has approved works for around 500 km of the 1,748 km
  12. Web site: Centre approves another Rs 2378.72 crore for construction of Frontier Highway in Arunachal. T. N. M.. NewsDesk. 12 February 2024. thenewsmill.com. 16 February 2024.
  13. Web site: China warns India against paving road in Arunachal. Ajay Banerjee. tribuneindia.com. 2014-10-26.
  14. Web site: Dantak. Border Roads Organisation. Government of India. 1 November 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927154718/http://www.bro.nic.in/indexmain.asp?projectid=23. 27 September 2011.
  15. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/roadways/arunachal-pradesh-inter-corridors-between-two-highways-proposed/articleshow/94995545.cms Arunachal Pradesh: Inter-corridors between two highways proposed
  16. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/centre-proposes-missing-link-connectivity-of-roads-in-arunachal-near-china-border-3454075#comments_result Centre Clears Construction Of 6 Corridors In Arunachal Near China Border
  17. Web site: Why India is planning a new road near the China border . . BBC News . 16 October 2014 . 27 October 2014.
  18. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1552846 Two important North East Circuits under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Central Tourism Ministry inaugurated in Arunachal Pradesh today
  19. Web site: Top officials to meet to expedite road building along China border. ipanewspack.com. 27 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141023053956/http://www.ipanewspack.com/defence/top-officials-to-meet-to-expedite-road-building-along-china-border/. 23 October 2014. dead.

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