Odisha govt push for infra development in state

The Odisha government's focus is on the development of infrastructure and over 300 bridges have been constructed in the last 17 years, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.

Of the 318 bridges, 108 were constructed in the last three years in the state, the chief minister said while inaugurating a bridge over the Mahanadi river yesterday.

A stretch of around 25,000 km road has also been constructed across the state, Patnaik said.

The chief minister dedicated the newly built bridge named after Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, the architect of modern Odisha, to the people of the state on the occasion of Utkal Divas yesterday.

The new bridge connecting Cuttack with Nuapatna and built at a cost of about Rs 157 crore, was done entirely with the state's own resource, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the three-lane bridge has shortened the distance between Cuttack and Dhenkanal by over 16 kilometer.

Seven bridges have already been constructed over the Mahanadi and work is on for five more bridges on the river, the chief minister said.

The 2853-metre-long bridge has a width of 14.8 metre. and footpaths on both sides. It stands over 74 piers having 75 spans and two abutments.

This is the second river bridge opened within a span of nine months to connect western part of Cuttack with the satellite township of Abhinav Bidanasi.