Y Merina Chishi
Dimapur| June 12
The much maligned National Highway-155 in Nagaland will soon get better and bigger. The government has sent a draft proposal to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway to convert NH-155 into a two-lane highway. Once the DPR is approved, the entire 326 kms stretch of the national highway from zero point Mokokchung to Akash Bridge in Jesami, under Meluri subdivision will be converted to two-lane.
For decades, the people of Tuensang and other places along National Highway-155 have been crying for better road conditions. There has been constant public outrage over the condition of the highway.
Businesses as well as government services have suffered badly owing to poor road condition. NH-155 was handed over to Nagaland public works department in 2008 by the Border Roads Organisations after nearly 40 years. By then, the roads were in pathetic condition and the bailey bridges had exceeded their lifespan. The department saw a big task ahead of them.
Notwithstanding the deteriorating condition of NH-155, the Nagaland PWD has started repairing parts of the highway. Depending on the extent of damage, patches of the national highway from Mokokchung to Akash Bridge is under repair.
Superintendent Engineer, NH circle-II, Ghokuto Assumi, said that except in two areas- 41 to 50 kms and 80 to 88 kms- the entire stretch from Mokokchung to Tuensang is under repair. The other two stretches have also been included in the 2010-11 DPR and is awaiting approval of the Ministry, Assumi added.
The draft proposal for repairs from Tuensang to Shamator is also awaiting sanction from the Ministry, Assumi said. As for the other areas, he said that the stretch from Kiphire to Akash Bridge is in fairly good condition but bad portions are under repair.
Assumi pointed out that the highway was handed over to the state department in a wretched condition. The bailey bridges which have a span of 40 years maximum have to be replaced with concrete ones, he said. The government has already prepared a draft proposal for the same. The roads under repair currently are complete with soiling and metalling, Assumi informed. The government has already sanction Rs.57 crores in the work carried out so far. The complete work, Assumi informed, will be inspected by engineers from the regional office in Guwahati.
