Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced, November 26, that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had informed him about the hiring of 11 new contractors to expedite the completion of the Jorhat-Dibrugarh highway project. This decision was made in response to concerns raised by the state government regarding the slow pace of the work.

In a letter to Sarma, Gadkari stated that his office had reviewed a report concerning the restoration and maintenance of the 127-kilometre stretch. Following this review, measures were taken to address the delays.

Gadkari explained that progress on the Jorhat-Dibrugarh section had been hindered by several challenges, including issues with land acquisition, shortages of raw materials such as silt and sand, and the underperformance of certain contractors. He also noted that the section from Numaligarh to Jorhat had already been completed. In a recent meeting, it was decided that to ensure efficient execution, the remaining section from Jorhat to Dibrugarh would be divided into smaller segments, with work being carried out by the newly onboarded contractors.

The project includes the construction of nine vehicular underpasses, six pedestrian underpasses, and one flyover, all of which require significant quantities of materials such as sand, earth, and boulders.