Sambalpur, Dec. 20: Residents today staged a demonstration in front of the National Highways Authority of India's office here over poor quality of work on the stretch from Ainthapali Chhak to Luhurachati.

The protesters under the banner of the Progressive Sambalpur raised slogans against a Nasik-based construction company that carried out the construction.

The road construction had started in 2011 and continued till 2014.

"More than Rs 900 crore has been spent on four-laning of the 88km stretch from Ainthapali Chhak in Sambalpur to Luhurachati. However, the quality of work is very poor. We demand a CBI investigation into it," said Progressive Sambalpur convener Sanjit Mohanty.

"We want the NHAI to take steps to repair the road at the earliest. If it does not do so, we will be forced to intensify agitation," he said.

"The construction firm has installed light posts from Ainthaplali Chhak to Remed Chhak, but they are hardly switched on. We want the NHAI to ask the construction firm to ensure that the lights function," said Swadhin Panda, an agitator.

They also submitted a memorandum to the project director of the NHAI's Sambalpur Implementation Unit in this regard.

Project director Biju Patari said: "We will convene a meeting in this regard on Friday. The official of the construction firm and residents of the city will take part in it and steps will be taken to repair the fault after the discussion."

Patari also assured the agitators that he would visit the site to assess the condition of the road and quality of the work.