Bhubaneswar: Odisha will have highest stretch of 240 km of the Raipur-Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will take up the construction of the six-lane highway in 465-km corridor at an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore. The corridor, which is built in hybrid annuity mode, will pass through Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It is targeted to be completed by 2025.
Under the project, 240 km will be built in Odisha with Rs 10,000 crore, 125 km in Chhattisgarh and 100 km in AP. The Centre has approved Kaliagura-Baunsaguar section of the NH that will run through Koraput and Nabarangpur districts in Odisha and intersect two existing highways near Kunduli and Kamara.
The highway will have 124 km in Nabarangpur district and 116 km in Koraput. The entire corridor has been divided into 19 civil packages in the three states, including 11 in Odisha. It starts from Abhanpur near Raipur in Chhattisgarh and ends at Sabbavaram in Andhra.
For the first time in Odisha, two road tunnels of around five km will be constructed in Sunki Ghati of the Eastern Ghat, NHAI chief general manager (technical) Ram Prasad Panda was quoted as saying by TNIE.
“Land acquisition has already started and it is expected to be over in next two months. Tenders for four packages have been finalised and contracts awarded, while bids for two packages are under process,” Panda added.
