In a bid to reduce traffic congestion and improve urban mobility, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh flagged off the Imphal Ring Road (IRR) project on Monday.

The project is a first of its kind in India and also would be an environment-friendly road.

Speaking at the event held at Patsoi in Imphal West district, Biren Singh said that the Rs 1,700 crore project was prompted due to the rising population and increasing traffic congestion within the capital Imphal.

Notably, the project had been on the cards from 2015-16 but was expedited in 2020, following the intervention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project is being funded by the Asian Development Bank. The length of road to be covered under this is 51.23 km. It will be completed by December 2026.

The Manipur CM further informed that 9.5 km of the road would be of 4 lanes, while 41.5 km would be of 2 lanes with paved shoulders. The road includes an 18 km stretch of a green field with solar lamps, a footpath, and a cycle lane.

Singh also highlighted on the development of 300-acre water bodies at Lamphelpat in Imphal West district at the cost of Rs 650 crore and a recreation centre.