The Union Cabinet authorized the expansion of the 135-kilometer Khowai-Harina route in Tripura on December 27 to improve road connectivity between different sections of the state and to give alternate access to Assam and Meghalaya from Tripura in addition to the existing NH-8.
The project would cost Rs 2,486.78 crore, including a loan component of Rs 1,511.70 crore, according to an official announcement from the government.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide the loan under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program.
The project will be finished in two years, which includes maintenance of these National Highways for five years (in the case of flexible pavement) or ten years (in the case of rigid pavement) following construction.
The Tripura road project was suggested in the 49th Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP).
The brownfield project is designed with a multimodal connectivity concept, including access to industrial clusters and the new SEZ, Paschim Jalefa; efficient freight movement; carbon footprint reduction; optimal alignment and logistical efficiency.
The NMP project planning resulted in advantages such as increased logistical efficiency and a 28-kilometer reduction in road length from 162 kilometers to 134 kilometers, resulting in a two-and-a-half-hour reduction in travel time.
The 49th NPG meeting brought together representatives from infrastructure ministries/departments such as Road Transport and Highways, Railways, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Civil Aviation, Power, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Department of Telecommunication, New and Renewable Energy, and NITI Aayog, as well as the Tripura state government, to discuss various aspects of the project.
The construction of the project length of NH-208 will, according to the government, not only increase the interstate connection between Assam and Tripura via NH-208A but would also cut transit time and offer safer connectivity for commuters.
“The project stretch also passes very close to the Bangladesh border, and it would improve connectivity to Bangladesh through Kailashahar, Kamalpur, and Khowai Border Check Post,” the ministry said in a statement.
The project length also extends to the Bangladesh border, improving communication to Bangladesh via Kailashahar, Kamalpur, and the Khowai Border Check Post.
According to the statement, land border commerce might rise as the region’s road network improves as a result of the project road’s construction.
Under JICA ODA Loan Phase-6, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) launched a tender in July 2023 for the expansion of the Khowai-Teliamura-Harina stretch of NH-208 (Package-II) in Tripura.
The project road connects Khowai, Teliamura, Twidu, Amarpur, Karbook, and Harina in Tripura, passing through the districts of Khowai, Gomati, and South Tripura. It would not only improve interstate communication between Assam and Tripura, but it would also promote commercial and industrial activity in Tripura.
