Highway projects worth 3L-cr to be ready in state in 2 years: Gadkari
Bhubaneswar: Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced that national highway projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore will be completed in Odisha within the next two years.
The announcement came during the inauguration ceremony of multiple highway projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in the state. Gadkari emphasised that the Centre is currently executing highway projects valued at around Rs 2 lakh crore in Odisha.
“We are committed to developing Odisha’s road infrastructure to match international standards, making it comparable to America,” said Gadkari. He highlighted the state’s strategic advantages, including its ports, mineral resources, forests and wildlife, which present significant potential for tourism development.
The minister stressed that good infrastructure is crucial for the state’s overall development. “Odisha is blessed with natural resources and tourism potential. However, to fully leverage these advantages, we need robust road infrastructure,” he added.
The minister said his ministry has approved a six-lane ring road for Bhubaneswar — following requests from MP Aparajita Sarangi — to come up at an estimated Rs 7,000 crore. “The proposal has been submitted to the Cabinet, and after Cabinet approval, we will certainly begin the project,” he said.
Gadkari announced approval for 13 new projects worth Rs 9,000 crore, requested by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. These include a six-lane road from Puri to Konark for Rs 800 crore.
Gadkari said the upcoming projects in Odisha are worth around Rs 75,000 crore and are 2,230-km long. These include the Bhubaneswar-Puri 66 km six-lane road, costing Rs 1,200 crore. “Travel time from Bhubaneswar to Puri will reduce from one and a half hours to 45 minutes,” he said.
Gadkari said the long-pending Cuttack-Angul-Sambalpur four-lane economic corridor of 262 km, will be completed by June. The travel time from Cuttack to Sambalpur will be reduced from 8 hours to 6 hours, he said. “We have started rectifying 35 accident-prone black spots in the corridor connecting western and eastern Odisha,” he said.
“The 77-km economic corridor from Chandikhol to Paradip, at an estimated Rs 6,000 crore will be completed by Dec 2026. DPR has been prepared for a six-lane greenfield highway from Chandikhol to Barbil at Rs 6,000 crore,” he said.
The minister said the 8-km stretch between Chilika lake in Krushnaprasad block will have two major bridges costing Rs 500 crore. “Its DPR will be completed soon,” he said. CM Majhi proposed an eight-lane Bhubaneswar-Puri highway, which Gadkari said would examine.
The announcement came during the inauguration ceremony of multiple highway projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in the state. Gadkari emphasised that the Centre is currently executing highway projects valued at around Rs 2 lakh crore in Odisha.
“We are committed to developing Odisha’s road infrastructure to match international standards, making it comparable to America,” said Gadkari. He highlighted the state’s strategic advantages, including its ports, mineral resources, forests and wildlife, which present significant potential for tourism development.
The minister stressed that good infrastructure is crucial for the state’s overall development. “Odisha is blessed with natural resources and tourism potential. However, to fully leverage these advantages, we need robust road infrastructure,” he added.
The minister said his ministry has approved a six-lane ring road for Bhubaneswar — following requests from MP Aparajita Sarangi — to come up at an estimated Rs 7,000 crore. “The proposal has been submitted to the Cabinet, and after Cabinet approval, we will certainly begin the project,” he said.
Gadkari announced approval for 13 new projects worth Rs 9,000 crore, requested by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. These include a six-lane road from Puri to Konark for Rs 800 crore.
Gadkari said the upcoming projects in Odisha are worth around Rs 75,000 crore and are 2,230-km long. These include the Bhubaneswar-Puri 66 km six-lane road, costing Rs 1,200 crore. “Travel time from Bhubaneswar to Puri will reduce from one and a half hours to 45 minutes,” he said.
Gadkari said the long-pending Cuttack-Angul-Sambalpur four-lane economic corridor of 262 km, will be completed by June. The travel time from Cuttack to Sambalpur will be reduced from 8 hours to 6 hours, he said. “We have started rectifying 35 accident-prone black spots in the corridor connecting western and eastern Odisha,” he said.
“The 77-km economic corridor from Chandikhol to Paradip, at an estimated Rs 6,000 crore will be completed by Dec 2026. DPR has been prepared for a six-lane greenfield highway from Chandikhol to Barbil at Rs 6,000 crore,” he said.
The minister said the 8-km stretch between Chilika lake in Krushnaprasad block will have two major bridges costing Rs 500 crore. “Its DPR will be completed soon,” he said. CM Majhi proposed an eight-lane Bhubaneswar-Puri highway, which Gadkari said would examine.
