Work Underway on Six National Highways in Tripura: PWD Secretary Confirms Ongoing Rectification of Kamalpur-Khowai NH-208 Stretch

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 9, 2025

The construction and development work is actively ongoing across six national highways in Tripura, covering a total length of 970 km. Out of this, approximately 440 km has already been completed, and construction is progressing on the remaining 530 km. This was confirmed by the Secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD), who addressed media concerns about the condition of certain roads, particularly the Kamalpur-Khowai section of NH-208.

Among the six highway projects, the 25.600 km stretch between Kamalpur and Khowai on NH-208 was officially completed on April 17, 2023. Since then, the project has been under a five-year Defect Liability Period (DLP). However, following intense rainfall in August 2024, signs of pavement settlement emerged, especially in the Khowai Bypass between Km 96.000 and Km 97.000. Further pavement distress was observed in additional stretches from Km 89.000 to Km 94.000 and from Km 95.000 to Km 101.300, totaling around 12 km of damage.

According to the Secretary PWD Kiran Gitte and other National Highway officials, the project was executed by an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Contractor in strict compliance with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) standards and Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines. Despite maintaining high-quality control measures, including third-party lab verification and close monitoring by the Authority Engineer, the unexpected failures are believed to have originated from the subgrade layer of the road.

Initial investigations point to elevated groundwater levels that saturated the subgrade, significantly reducing its strength and bearing capacity. The NHIDCL (National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) has sought approval from its New Delhi headquarters to bring in the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to conduct an in-depth assessment. CRRI is expected to begin site inspections within the next 15 days.

In response to the damage, rectification work is already underway. The EPC Contractor has mobilized machinery and manpower to remove and replace soil from the embankment at depths of 1–2 meters. A drainage barrier using suitable sand is being installed to prevent further moisture intrusion, followed by laying a fresh bituminous layer.

A joint inspection of the ongoing repair efforts was conducted on May 7, 2025, by the PWD Secretary, NHIDCL’s Executive Director (P), the District Magistrate of Khowai, PMU Teliamura officials, State PWD engineers, and representatives from the EPC Contractor and Authority Engineer.

The rectification is expected to be completed in the next two months. The issue has gained attention in local media over the past few days, prompting a brief meeting between the Chief Minister of Tripura and the Executive Director (P) of NHIDCL on May 7. Detailed updates on the situation were presented to the Chief Minister during the meeting.

more news...