To bolster road connectivity in the northeast states and to improve border infrastructure, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the widening of 134km road in Tripura.
The improvement & widening of two lanes with paved shoulder of road from Khowai to Harina in South Tripura (NH-208), covering a total length of 134.913 km in the northern state which shares its borders with Bangladesh.
“The construction period for the project stretches will be 2 years which includes the maintenance of these national highways stretches for 5 years (in the case of flexible pavement)/ 10 years (in the case of rigid pavement) after completion of construction,” the Ministry of Road and Transport mentioned in a statement.
Notably, the shoulder on roads is a strip of pavement outside an outer lane, which is used in emergencies during traffic and it also protects the pavement edges from vehicular damage.
With a project cost of Rs.2,486.78 crore which includes a loan component of Rs.1,511.70 crore (JPY 23,129 Million). The loan assistant will be from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) scheme.
Envisaged to facilitate better road connectivity between various parts of Tripura, it will provide alternative access to other northeastern states like Assam and Meghalaya from Tripura apart from the existing NH-8.
Destination northeast
The road expansion project has been selected based on the necessity of providing smooth and motorable roads after considering the socio-economic needs of the region.
Development of the project stretch of NH-208 would not only improve interstate connectivity between Assam and Tripura via NH-208A but also reduce the transit time and provide safer connectivity for travelers.
The project stretch also passes along the international border and it would improve connectivity to Bangladesh through the Kailashahar, Kamalpur, and Khowai border check post.
It is noteworthy that the selected stretch connects the agricultural belt, tourist places, religious places, and tribal districts of the state, which are inferior in terms of growth and income.
