Sunabeda Traveling from Koraput to Sunabeda via National Highway- 26 has become a painful experience. The 22 km journey from Koraput to Sunabeda or Semiliguda, which should ideally take a short time, now takes 2 to 3 hours—sometimes even longer due to uncertain road conditions.
The road expansion and concrete work on both sides of the highway have made NH-26 dangerously narrow and congested. The highway, which is already a busy freight route, has become almost impassable due to ongoing construction.
When vehicles attempt to make way for others, their tires slip off the road, getting stuck in the loose soil, leading to frequent traffic jams lasting for hours. Hundreds of vehicles remain stranded on both sides of the road, creating severe bottlenecks. Covering just 15 to 22 km now takes several hours, with no certainty of reaching the destination on time.
Particularly at Mohanapada and Dumuriput, incomplete roadwork causes vehicles to get stuck daily, adding to the frustration of travelers. People are angry and disappointed at the poor planning and negligence of the highway authorities.
The lack of an alternative route before starting the construction work has made the situation even worse. Passengers and drivers have urged the district administration to intervene immediately and arrange for alternative routes to ease the traffic congestion.