Odisha To Get 160 Km Coastal Highway, Travel Time Set To Drop By 2.5 Hours

Odisha is set to get a major coastal road project that could make travel along its eastern coastline much quicker. The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 8300.79 Crore coastal highway connecting Rameshwar and Paradeep.

The 160.18 km highway will pass through Khurda, Puri, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts, covering several important parts of the state. Once completed, the new route is expected to cut travel time by 2 hours 30 minutes.

The project might also give a boost to tourism, transport, trade and industrial activity in the region. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the project under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). It will be developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in two packages.

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As per the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways press release, the project received strong interest from companies looking to build the highway. Since the announcement was made, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has reportedly received an overwhelming response from bidders.

The Rameshwar to Konark Package I, a four-lane road covering 79.4 km, received 10 bids. Package II, Konark to Paradeep, covering 80.7 km as a two-lane road, received 7 bids.

The highway will have a design speed of 100 km per hour, expected to make travel quicker and smoother. It will also provide direct road access to some of Odisha's major tourist attractions, including Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri Beach and Konark Sun Temple.

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The upcoming Rameshwar Paradeep Coastal Highway is also expected to provide an alternative route to NH 16 and NH 316. At present, NH 16 passes through Khordha, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. NH 316, on the other hand, connects Bhubaneswar with Puri and continues towards Satapada and Konark.

With the new coastal route, travellers will have another road option to reach important destinations.