Arunachal’s key border road works, including NH-13, to be completed by 2026

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has announced that the double-laning of the 32-km Pene–Tato stretch of the Aalo–Mechuka road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi-Yomi district will be completed by March 2026.

Project Brahmank Chief Engineer S C Looniya said the work had been delayed due to land acquisition issues but stressed that formation cutting would be finished quickly to prevent disruptions to traffic. He said the focus was on providing safe and all-weather connectivity from Kaying in Siang district to Tato.

On the Tato–Mechuka stretch, 14 bridges have been awarded to a contractor and are at different stages of construction. Looniya said the 12-km Yarlung–Trijunction road, which includes a 140-ft steel modular bridge, is expected to be completed within two years. The 16-km Yarlung–Lamang road is already finished, while a detailed project report for the 14-km Lamang–Lola road is under preparation.

Work is also progressing on the Migging–Tuting road, where only 15 km of formation cutting remains. Surfacing is scheduled for this year, with March 2026 set as the target for completion.

The BRO chief engineer said the organisation is willing to take over maintenance of the NH-13 Akajan–Likabali–Bam road if given approval by the government. Large portions of the stretch, originally built by BRO in the 1960s and transferred to the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd in 2015, are in poor condition, causing difficulties for commuters.

The NH-13 connects Likabali in Lower Siang district with Aalo in West Siang and extends further to Mechuka in Shi-Yomi, serving as a vital route for civilians and security forces in forward areas.