NHAI fast-tracks Rs 9,733-cr NH projects in Odisha

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated the groundwork for the coastal highway and capital region ring road (CRRR) in Odisha. The Rs 9,733 crore national highway project, which was initially proposed to connect Gopalpur in Ganjam of Odisha to Digha in West Bengal, was changed in view of environmental concerns and would now start from NH-16 near Tangi in Khurda district and will be developed in two stretches — Tangi Ratanpur and Ratanpur-Digha — with an investment of over Rs 7,000 crore. The 177-km Tangi-Ratanpur stretch will pass through Puri, Konark, Astarang, Naugaon, Paradip port and end at Ratanpur, providing connectivity to about 100 villages in Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts. For the six-lane CRRR, the NHAI has floated a tender for the road from Govindpur near Kuspangi on NH-42 to Tangi near Manguli on NH-16. Apart from this, the agency has also started the tender process for the two ambitious road projects costing Rs 2,733 crore. For this coastal highway project, which will be developed into a 4-lane road, NHAI has floated tenders under two packages. While 47-km Rameswaram to Puri under one package will be constructed at an investment of Rs 1,436 crore, the 45-km Puri-Kakatpur package will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 1,297 crore.