With speeding vehicles killing 55 wild animals on an average each year, the Assam PWD department is undertaking a feasibility study for diverting traffic from the 100 km stretch of the NH 37 which passes through the Kaziranga National Park.
The study comes after the Centre shelved plans for four-laning of the portion of highway following pressure from the environmental lobby which felt the highway was a potential threat to the World Heritage Site's inhabitants.
"The feasibility study has just begun and it would take about 18 months. Two bridges over the Brahmaputra are also proposed in the new route that is roughly around 115 km," a top Assam PWD official told PTI.
One of the bridges has been proposed to be constructed parallel to the existing 3.2-km Bhumuraguri bridge near Tezpur in order to make the route four-lane.
The second bridge over Brahmaputra has been proposed between Gohpur and Bokakhat.
"The idea is to divert the traffic from Nagaon to Tezpur and then via Biswanath Chariali and Gohpur rejoin the road with the South bank of the Brahmaputra through the second bridge near Bokakhat," the official said.
The second bridge near Bokakhat, where the Brahmaputra is more than 3-km wide, could well be the longest bridge over the mighty river, he said.
The official said the report of the feasibility study would be submitted to the ministry of surface transport. After receiving its nod, preparation of a detailed project report would be taken up.
Officials say around 55 animals are killed by speeding vehicles on NH- 37 every year near Kaziranga National Park.
The number increases during floods when the park witnesses large-scale animal migration to the highlands across the highway.
Conversion of that stretch into a four-lane express highway would have posed a threat to animals.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee had termed the highway as a 'potential threat to the integrity' of the park.
The Heritage Committee, in its 32nd report released earlier this year, noted that 'upgrading the national highway will transform the already problematic road crossing into an impossible barrier for the wildlife of the property'.
Following the concerns, the Centre had shelved plans to upgrade the portion of the highway passing through the park.
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