Jharsuguda: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday dedicated the Sambalpur-Rourkela section of the ambitious Biju Expressway, which would serve as a lifeline for western parts of Odisha.
The 162-km-long Sambalpur-Rourkela, a portion of State Highway-10, has been built at an estimated expenditure of Rs 1292.56 crore, official sources said. This four-lane Expressway has been built on public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.
ଆସନ୍ତାକାଲି ବିଜୁ ଏକ୍ସପ୍ରେସ୍ ୱେର ଶୁଭ ଉଦଘାଟନ କରିବା ଅପେକ୍ଷାରେ। ପଶ୍ଚିମ ଓ ଦକ୍ଷିଣ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସର୍ବାଙ୍ଗୀନ ବିକାଶରେ ଏହା ଯୁଗାନ୍ତକାରୀ ଭୂମିକା ନିଭାଇବ। ଏହି ଅଞ୍ଚଳରେ ସବୁ ବର୍ଗର ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କ ଅର୍ଥନୈତିକ ଓ ସାମାଜିକ ଅଭିବୃଦ୍ଧି ହେବା ସହ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ବିକାଶ ମାନଚିତ୍ରରେ ଏକ ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର ସ୍ଥାନ ଅଧିକାର କରିବ। #OdishaOnTheMove pic.twitter.com/MaWSonIpV9
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) March 11, 2018
The Sambalpur-Rourkela section, which passes through Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh districts, has six major bridges and 39 minor bridges, official sources said.
The Sambalpur-Rourkela Expressway is a part of the Koraput-Rourkela Biju Expressway the estimated cost of which is Rs 3000 crore.
The Expressway, proposed to be 650 km long, would connect Jagdalpur (in Chhattisgarh) and Rourkela and serve as an economic corridor for Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts.
The Chief Minister had announced the Biju Expressway in 2014.