UDAIPUR, Jan 5 (TIWN): By the mid of June, it is expected that vehicles will run over the double lane road of NH-44 very soon.

The expansion work is almost completed and is under progress at Santirbazar- Matabari area.

The double lane expansion work for NH44 is going on in full swing at Santirbazar- Matabari area.

It is to be mentioned here that the source has so far claimed that the work will be completed by June and it will be ready to run vehicles in the double lane.

The sources also said that if the dry season continues it will be able to complete the work in the given time.

And with the completion of the work in the given time, it will also be possible to run the vehicles in the road.

Presently, the expansion work is underway in Garji area under Udaipur sub-division.

The 128 km long Agartala – Sabroom NH -44 is scheduled to be widened in two phases. Phase-I, which is around 55 km, is Agartala – Udaipur and remaining 73 km categorized as Phase II is Udaipur – Sabroom.

Land demarcation and identification survey for double laning of Udaipur-Sabroom segment in the National Highway 44 is completed and the work is underway.

Tender was floated for the double laning work long back with the Oriental Structural Engineers Pvt. Ltd given the responsibility of work.

The proposed project work of Agartala-Sabroom and Agartala-Udaipur national highway double lane work is going in full swing. Two companies named as Oriental Structural Engineering and KRC Company are looking after the work of the double lane.

The official of the state PWD department had said earlier that some of the offices of the state govt. and houses of the public would be evicted during the project work. The Ministry has sanctioned Rs.17 crore for water supply pipeline under the DWS department, while Rs. 69 crore has been sanctioned for shifting of electric posts and for land acquisition Rs. 400 crore has been sanctioned, said the official.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on June 30 laid the foundation stone for double-lane construction work of Agartala – Sabroom National Highway in presence of State Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari declared that the road connecting Sabroom with Kukital and Teliamura to Sabroom via Amarpur would be brought under the National Highway project.

The Agartala-Sabroom road would be double lane having width of 10-meter excluding pavement. The 73 km Udaipur-Sabroom road will require Rs. 450 crore while 48-km Agartala-Udaipur road will need Rs. 462 crore to get double lane.

According to the official, the Centre has already sanctioned fund to face lift the Agartala-Sabroom via Udaipur road which has tagged with NH-44.