SAMBALPUR: Vehicular movement came to a standstill on the National Highway-55 connecting Sambalpur and Cuttack on Tuesday morning, as the residents of the Rairakhol sub-division staged a road blockade protesting the delay in the construction of the road.
On Tuesday at 6 a.m., residents under the aegis of Nagarik Committee, Rairakhol blocked the NH-55 at the town’s main square. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on either side of the road for around five hours.
According to the agitating residents, while the widening work of the highway is underway, the condition of the existing stretch of NH-55 between Rairakhol and Sambalpur has turned deplorable. “With a number of potholes and wide cracks on the road, the part of NH here has become a death trap for the commuters. The situation worsens during the monsoon as the potholes are often filled with water and not visible. Accidents have become a regular affair,” they said.
Chairman of Rairakhol block, Pradeep Pradhan said, “This is not the first time we have raised the issue. We had already brought this matter to the notice of the officials of NHAI on several occasions in the past.” Sadly, while the widening work is going on, the NHAI authorities despite knowing the condition of the existing road are not paying heed towards the need for repair. We were forced to resort to road blockade, to draw their attention, he added.