Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam Expressway Through Odisha Soon: Minister

Bhubaneswar: A greenfield highway connecting Kharagpur in West Bengal and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh will be constructed soon. The expressway will pass through Odisha.

Sharing this information, Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said preliminary preparatory works for the proposed project have already been initiated.

He said the expressway will serve as a significant logistics corridor, aimed at facilitating seamless high-speed transportation.

Noting that the project will form a vital part of the Gati Shakti Framework of the Central government, the Minister said will be a revolutionary step in road construction in Odisha.

Greenfield roads generally pass through new areas, wherein the per unit cost of land acquisition is generally less considering less development in these areas. The construction of greenfield roads generates new areas for development besides several other advantages.

Sources said the 783 km long expressway project is presently progressing steadily, with 10 firms having submitted bids to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) opened the technical bids for the project on November 5, 2024.

MoRTH invited tenders in June 2024, with a deadline of 1.5 years for completion. A total of 18 bids were received—10 for Package 1 and 8 for Package 2.

The next step involves a detailed technical evaluation of the bids, which may take a couple of months. Afterward, the financial bids of the technically qualified consultants will be opened, determining the lowest bidder for each package.

If contracts are awarded in the first half of 2025, MoRTH expects the DPRs to be completed by the end of 2026. Following the approval process, land acquisition, and necessary clearances, construction is expected to begin no sooner than 2028, the sources added.