CM holds meeting with Gadkari on national highway projects
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari convened a review meeting with Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha in New Delhi Wednesday to evaluate the advancement of National Highway projects and the future roadmap for road infrastructure development in Tripura. The meeting stressed accelerating existing National Highway projects, enhancing the maintenance of current road infrastructure and initiating new projects aimed at improving connectivity within the state and with its neighbouring regions.
Chief Minister Dr Saha expressed gratitude for the significant expansion of the National Highway network in Tripura, which has grown from 198 km in 2014 to an anticipated 923 km by 2026. He highlighted crucial decisions that needed to be implemented promptly.
Dr Saha discussed the approval for the 4-laning of the Churaibari–Champaknagar stretch of NH-08, spanning 130 km, which will run parallel to the railway line and involve tunnels through the Atharamura and Longtharai ranges with land acquisition set to begin soon.
Chief Minister indicated that the state would hand over 90% of the necessary land and complete utility adjustments for the Ranirbazar–ISBT (Chandrapur) segment of NH-08 by August 2026 following which NHIDCL would initiate construction tenders. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 4-laning of the Agartala–Udaipur section of NH-08 is approaching completion due to increased traffic demands from tourism and pilgrimage activities with alignment finalization expected by August 2026.
The DPR for upgrading a 24 km road from Udaipur to Amarpur is nearly finished, aimed at enhancing accessibility to significant cultural sites.
The Ministry plans to address the development of the 148 km Kamalpur–Ambassa–Gandacherra–Santirbazar road highlighting its strategic relevance for tourism, commerce and natural gas economic activities. For the proposed 25-km Western Bypass of Agartala City, a new tender will include service lanes, accommodating the high population density along the planned route.
Further, plans for the 4-laning of the Eastern Bypass connecting Lembucherra and Khayerpur (10 km) will proceed once the alignment is confirmed and land acquisition is completed. Dr Saha asserted the crucial need to redevelop the deteriorating road surfaces on various stretches of NH-108B, NH-208 and NH-208A based on recommendations from the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).
The Chief Minister underscored the importance of installing adequate drainage systems and retaining walls along National Highways to prevent flooding and landslides, especially during the monsoon. It was reported that discussions had been held with the Government of Assam regarding the widening of the Kurti Bridge–Chandkhira section of NH-208A Spur from a 7-meter to a 10-meter carriageway.
The State Government committed to providing full support for timely land acquisition, forest clearances, and utility relocations to ensure the successful completion of all proposed projects.
The meeting was attended by V Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Krishna Kumar, Managing Director, NHIDCL; Kiran Gitte, Secretary, PWD, Government of Tripura; Subrata Banik, Chief Engineer, PWD (NH); the Regional Officer of NHIDCL, Agartala and other senior officials.
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha took the occasion to thank Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for sanctioning a record number of National Highway projects in Tripura including the Agartala Ring Road project, which have significantly strengthened road infrastructure and facilitated investment and economic growth across the State.