Bananaboy I can not understand why you say a N/S road could be preferred by any body.
You must be misplacing reasons for E/W onto N/S.

Communities do want roads over rail but only if it is a normal road as you say. But there would be nothing normal with the N/S road.

Just imagine a heavy truck every couple of minutes, if not less, loaded with chromite ore and some of that ore as dust to cover the surroundings, and I am not going to delve about noise pollution.

Natives are adamant enough about pollution as is. Environmentalist would have a field day.

Sorry but a road for chromite ore is just a wishfull pipe dream. Politically, environmentaly and most of all economically it is a no show.