AGARTALA, Jan 28 (TIWN): Years have passed by but the double lane expansion work between Nagerjala and Amtali is yet to get completed. The stress of the road which was supposed to get double lane expansion between Nagerjala and Amtali is not yet completed.

With lack of initiative in the expansion of the road between Nagerjala and Amtali, the zone at Badarghat and Milanchakra is left in critical condition.  After few kilometres of cemented divider between Badarghat and Milanchakra, the divider work is stopped and since then no initiative is take to give any divider.

However in many of the spots there many pot holes resulting the people to lose control over the brakes of their vehicles.

Heavy vehicles and buses that pass through the stretch find it difficult to use the road as there is lack of divider.

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.

However, the 128 km long Agartala – Sabroom NH -44 will 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.

For the double lane expansion work of NH44, Land demarcation and identification survey for double laning of Udaipur-Sabroom segment in the National Highway 44 is completed. Tender was floated for the double laning work long back with the Oriental Structural Engineers Pvt. Ltd given the responsibility of work.

It is to be mentioned here that National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) officials said 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 has been assigned to take over the work for double lane.