Dharmendra Pradhan Seeks Nitin Gadkari’s Help For Widening Bridge On NH-5A

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Road Transport and Highway minister Nitin Gadkari to take steps for widening a bridge on the Paradip-Chandikhol NH-5A in Odisha.  

The Union Education minister, who hails from the coastal state, made the request to Gadkari in a letter  and also met him in New Delhi requesting him to initiate necessary steps.

Widening of the bridge at Olasuni Chowk National would benefit nearly two lakh villagers of 30 gram panchayats, Pradhan said in the letter which was released to the media on Wednesday.    

Noting that he has received a petition from a BJP leader from the Mahanga Assembly segment of the state in this regard, Pradhan said the existing six-lane Chandikhol-Paradip National Highway (5A) is being expanded into eight lanes. 

This expansion will be a boon in consolidating the economic corridor as it will facilitate a huge boost to connectivity, he said.

The minister pointed out that the narrow bridge situated at the Olasuni Chowk over the Gobari drainage cut on the highway causes an uncontrollable flow of water to nearby 30 gram panchayats, affecting more than 1,000 acres of irrigated and residential land and nearly two lakh people of Salipur and Mahanga Assembly constituencies of Cuttack district.

“Every year these villages are badly hit by flood-like situations and the people living here lament the losses incurred to them. Though this drainage cut has not been considered a river, it directly falls into the Bay of Bengal forming its own river mouth,” the letter read. 

Therefore, widening of the Gobari cut bridge of Olasuni Chowk may be included in the expansion work of the NH-5A in the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Responding to his request, Gadkari assured him that necessary steps will be taken for widening the bridge, Pradhan tweeted. 

(With PTI Inputs)