Gadkari unveils projects worth ₹4K cr, says Odisha to get US-like highways

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said Odisha will soon get America-like highways.

Unveiling 19 national highway projects worth Rs 4,137 crore in the state, he said road connectivity will boost tourism in the state.

"The Centre will provide world-class infrastructure to Odisha, and the people here will soon get America-like highways. The state has ports, minerals and forests. Road connectivity will boost its tourism potential," he said.

Noting that the Centre has undertaken highway projects worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore in the state, Gadkari said projects worth Rs 60,000 crore have already been completed.

Works for projects worth Rs 60,000 crore are underway, while projects worth Rs 75,000 crore are in the pipeline, he said.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CMs Pravati Parida and KV Singh Deo, MPs, MLAs and ministers were present at the programme at Baramunda Maidan in Bhubaneswar.

Referring to the demand made by Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, Gadkari said his ministry has already approved the capital region ring road project.

"We are waiting for the Union Cabinet's nod. The ring road from Rameswaram in Khurda district to Tangi in Cuttack district will be executed at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore," he said.

Gadkari said the Centre has approved widening the Bhubaneswar-Puri highway to six lanes at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore.

"The travel time between Bhubaneswar and Puri will be reduced from 90 minutes to 45 minutes," he added.

Addressing the function, Chief Minister Majhi put forth the proposal to widen the Bhubaneswar-Puri highway to eight lanes with the provision of a service road.

"The eight-lane road between Bhubaneswar and Puri can cater to the needs for the next 100 years," he said, and also urged Gadkari to take the necessary steps for widening the proposed coastal highway to four lanes.

Gadkari said the second Ranchi-Sambalpur corridor will be built at a cost of Rs 8,000 crore, and the ChandikholParadip corridor will be completed by December 2026.

He laid the foundation stones for 13 national highway projects worth Rs 2,905 crore. As a part of these projects, new roads will be built and existing roads will be widened in Khurda, Puri, Ganjam, Kandhamal, and Nayagarh districts.

He also laid the foundation stones for four bridges worth Rs 427 crore. These bridges, having a combined length of 4.82 km, will be built on the Berhampur-Gopalpur and Rourkela-Biramitrapur highways under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF).

Gadkari also inaugurated the four-laning of the Talcher-Kamakhyanagar section of NH-149 and another section of NH-53. The projects have been executed at a cost of Rs 800 crore.

He also inaugurated vehicle underpasses of NH-16 at Balikuda, Sikharpur and Badachana.

Earlier in the day, Gadkari visited the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar and interacted with students.