Agartala: Union minister Nitin Gadkari met Tripura CM Manik Saha in New Delhi to review ongoing national highway projects and discuss future infrastructure plans. The focus was on speeding up execution, improving maintenance of existing roads, and launching new works to strengthen connectivity within Tripura and with neighbouring states.Saha thanked Gadkari, noting Tripura’s national highway network expanded from 198 km in 2014 to 923 km, expected by 2026. He said the alignment has been approved for four-laning the 130-km Churaibari-Champaknagar stretch of NH-08 as a greenfield highway running parallel to the railway line, with tunnels through the Atharamura and Longtharai ranges.Saha urged adequate drainage and retaining walls to prevent flooding and reduce monsoon landslide risks. He said Assam has been approached to widen the Kurti Bridge-Chandkhira NH-208A Spur from 7 m to 10 m. Tripura promised support for land acquisition, forest clearances and utility shifting.The meeting was also attended by V Umashankar, secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Krishna Kumar, managing director of NHIDCL and Kiran Gitte, secretary of PWD for the Govt of Tripura.
