Bhubaneswar: Union Road Transport & Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday inaugurated and laid stone for 19 national highway projects worth Rs 4,137 crore, covering 154 km in Odisha.
Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said that road infrastructure in Odisha will be on par with those in America. “World-class infrastructure is a necessity to ensure development of a state. Odisha has good ports, rich mineral resources and forests and wildlife, which can help promote tourism. Good road infrastructure will provide the needed push to these sectors. In Odisha, we have taken up around Rs 2 lakh crore highway projects. Of these, projects worth Rs 60,000 crore have been completed. The rest include Rs 60,000 crore ongoing and Rs 75,000 crore upcoming projects. Detailed Project Reports (DPR) are being prepared for around Rs 40,000 crore projects. These apart, Rs 27,000 crore projects, covering Rs 650 km, have been awarded,” he said.
He further stated that Rs 3 lakh crore projects will be completed in the next 2 years.
Gadkari informed that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved the capital region ring road in Odisha. “We are waiting for the Union Cabinet’s nod. The ring road project from Rameswaram in Khurda district to Tangi in Cuttack district will be executed with an expenditure of Rs 7,000 crore,” he said.
The ministry has also approved a proposal for six-laning of Bhubaneswar-Puri road with an expenditure of Rs 1,200 crore, he added.
The Union Minister mentioned about the second Ranchi–Sambalpur corridor to be built at a cost of Rs 8,000 crore. The Chandikhol–Paradip corridor will be completed by December 2026, he added.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, and Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, among others, were present.
On the occasion, he inaugurated four-lane Talcher to Kamakhyanagar (41 km) stretch of National Highway-149 and National Highway-53, which will provide enhanced connectivity, resulting in shorter travel time and fuel savings and help in the overall growth of the region. The project was executed with an expenditure of around Rs 800 crore. He also inaugurated vehicular under passes (VUPs) at Balikuda, Sikharpur and Badachana on Bhubaneswar-Chandikhole sector of National Highway-16. The VUPs have been constructed at a cost of Rs 45 crore.
Gadkari laid foundation stones for the following projects, which will help eliminate blackspots, decongest the regions and enhance inter-state connectivity with the neighbouring states.
