Berhampur: Restoration work at Kalinga Ghat, a stretch of NH-157 connecting Ganjam and Kandhamal districts, was hit due to a fresh landslide Monday, an official said.
The stretch was badly damaged after massive landslides September 16.
While several huge rocks rolled down the hills due to fresh rainfall, other rocks were hanging precariously, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) chief construction engineer Bankim Chandra Panda, who was on the spot to oversee the repair work, said.
The situation is terrible now and work has been stalled, he said.
“Even though we deployed heavy equipment for repair to restore traffic movement temporarily, work can’t progress now,” he said, adding the fresh landslide was a setback for the restoration.
He said NHAI could not give any probable date for completion of the stretch in view of heavy rain.
If rain continues for some more days, the temporary construction of the highway will be further delayed, he added.
The highway was a vital communication link between Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. The Kandhamal district administration has closed the stretch after landslides that damaged the highway.
As Kalinga Ghat has been closed, passenger buses from Berhampur were going through Daringbadi Road to reach Phulbani, while several others were travelling via Dasapalla in Nayagarh district, which take more time, officials said.