Imp-Dpr highway re-connected

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 28: Imphal-Dimapur highway which remained cut off since Friday evening after a 50 metres long portion sank at Khongnem Thana about 15 kms from Maram has been re-connected.
As such, stranded trucks and other vehicles have resumed movement on the highway since this afternoon.
Engineers of Bharatia Infra Project Limited (BIPL) started constructing a new road; 10 metres wide and 110 metres long, in lieu of the sunken portion since last Sunday.
In view of the vital importance of Imphal-Dimapur highway for transporting essential commodities to the State, BIPL engineers started constructing a temporary structure by sending in necessary machinery.
Even though the highway has been re-connected, the newly constructed highway section is not yet a permanent structure. Design analysis is being done to further develop the particular section as a permanent structure.
One BIPL official informed that it is not yet clear whether the sunken portion should be restored by building a retaining wall and re-levelling the surface but there is no space for further acquisition on the side of the hill slope.
On the other hand, subsequent upon the sinking of the highway section, the IOCL’s State Level Coordinator wrote to the State Government on Monday to allow movement of oil tankers and LPG trucks with CRPF escorts on Imphal-Jiribam highway.
However, as Imphal-Dimapur highway has been reconnected, convoys of oil tankers and LPG trucks escorted by CRPF would take their usual route through Mao.