Agartala: Hundreds of commuters endured hours of hardship on Saturday after a lorry got stuck on a damaged stretch of the under-construction Assam–Agartala National Highway (NH-08) at Jampui Choumuhani in Tripura’s Champaknagar area, bringing traffic to a standstill for nearly eight hours.
The stranded vehicle blocked a key section of the highway, resulting in a traffic jam that stretched for several kilometres on both sides of the road. Hundreds of vehicles, including passenger buses, private cars, ambulances and goods carriers, remained trapped for hours as frustrated commuters waited for authorities to clear the obstruction.
Passengers, many of whom were travelling with children and elderly family members, were forced to remain stranded in hot and humid weather with little information on when the road would reopen. The prolonged disruption sparked widespread anger among motorists and local residents, who accused authorities of failing to address the deteriorating condition of the highway.
Local residents and transport operators blamed the poor state of the road and the slow pace of the ongoing four-laning project for the recurring traffic disruptions. They alleged that the damaged surface has become a major hazard, particularly for heavy vehicles, which frequently get stuck and block the only road connecting Tripura with the rest of the country.
“This is not the first such incident. The highway work is progressing at a snail’s pace, and whenever a heavy vehicle gets stuck, thousands of commuters are forced to suffer,” a lorry driver told reporters, expressing frustration over the repeated bottlenecks on the route.
The incident once again highlighted the fragile condition of NH-08, Tripura’s lifeline for the movement of passengers and essential goods. Frequent traffic snarls on the highway have raised concerns about the impact on trade, emergency services and daily commuters.
Residents and commuters have urged the National Highways authorities and the state government to speed up the four-lane construction work and carry out immediate repairs on vulnerable stretches to prevent similar incidents.
Observers warn that unless construction is expedited and damaged portions of the highway are repaired without delay, such disruptions will continue to cripple transport, inconvenience thousands of travellers and affect the state’s crucial road connectivity.
