CORRESPONDENT
AGARTALA: Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and apprised him of the progress of National Highway projects in the state. He also urged the Union Minister to strengthen the maintenance of the existing road infrastructure and discussed future road development projects to improve connectivity with neighbouring states.
The Chief Minister thanked the Union Minister for the significant expansion of the National Highway network in Tripura, which has increased from 198 km in 2014 to 923 km in 2026. Road maintenance received special attention during the meeting, as many roads have weakened due to heavy rainfall and require special care during the monsoon.
Dr Saha also discussed the alignment for the four-laning of the Churaibari-Champaknagar stretch of NH-08 (130 km), which has been approved by the Ministry in consultation with the State Government. The proposed greenfield four-lane highway will run parallel to the railway line and include tunnels through the Atharamura and Longtharai ranges. Land acquisition for the project will commence shortly.
He said the State Government will hand over 90% of the required land and complete utility shifting for the remaining Ranirbazar-ISBT (Chandrapur) section of NH-08 by August 2026. Thereafter, NHIDCL will float the construction tender.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the four-laning of the Agartala-Udaipur section of NH-08 is in its final stage, considering the substantial increase in traffic movement, tourism and pilgrimage activities. The alignment is expected to be finalised by August 2026, following which land acquisition will begin.
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