Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 28 national highway (NH) projects worth Rs 6,600 crore in Odisha. Though his visit to Odisha was cancelled at the last minute, Gadkari launched these projects virtually.
Among the inaugurated projects were a 79km four-lane road between Baharagora and Singhara on NH-49, valued at Rs 1,203 crore, and a 78km six-lane road from Chandikhol to Bhadrak on NH-16, costing Rs 2,035 crore.
Additionally, the minister laid the foundation stones for 26 other road infrastructure projects in the state.
During the event, Gadkari highlighted the significant progress in national highway development in Odisha since 2014.
The total length of national highways in the state has increased from 4,639 km to 5,753 km during this period. The ministry has allocated nearly Rs 1.50 lakh-crore for highway development in Odisha, he added.
From 2014 to 2024, around 4,250 km of roads were constructed in Odisha, with an expenditure of approximately Rs 33,000 crore, he said.
Furthermore, projects for another 1,312 km of national highways, with an investment of Rs 22,000 crore, are underway and expected to be completed during 2024-25, the minister said.
The ministry is also preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the construction of 746 km of roads with an estimated cost of Rs 60,000 crore, he said.
Gadkari announced plans for various projects, including a 111km greenfield ring road around Bhubaneswar city, costing Rs 6,253 crore.
This project will be divided into two packages and is expected to benefit the residents of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Khurda.
Under package-I, 71km six-lane road will be constructed from Rameswar to Govindpur with a total cost of Rs 4,426 crore while road from Govindpur to Tangi (40 km) will be taken up under package-II with a cost of Rs 2,287 crore, the minister said.
Additionally, a 35km four-lane greenfield ring road will be constructed in Sambalpur at a cost of Rs 1,333 crore, with work scheduled to begin in October 2024, he said.
The minister emphasised the government's focus on infrastructure development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that by the end of this year, Odisha's national highway network will resemble roads in the USA.
