Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Wednesday said the approval of the Rs 8,300-crore coastal highway project will accelerate the transformation of the state’s coastal economy, enhance regional connectivity and improve the quality of life of millions of people.
Majhi’s remarks came after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the construction of a greenfield coastal highway from Rameshwar in Khurda district to Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
The project, to be implemented in two packages, will cover a total length of 160.18 km at an estimated cost of Rs 8,300.79 crore.
A new chapter in #Odisha’s infrastructure development begins with the approval of the Rs 8,300 crore Coastal Highway from Rameshwar to Paradeep by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji….. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @nitin_gadkari Ji for their unwavering support and commitment towards the development and prosperity of our State, Majhi said in a post on X.
The chief minister said the project would strengthen connectivity, reduce travel time by nearly two-and-a-half hours and create new opportunities for tourism, trade, logistics and economic growth.
According to an official statement, the highway will pass through Khurda, Puri, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts.
The existing NH-16, part of the Golden Quadrilateral, is already a six-lane highway passing through major urban centres such as Khurda, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, while NH-316 connects Bhubaneswar with Puri and extends further towards Satapada and Konark.
The statement said the existing road geometry along the Puri-Satapada and Puri-Konark stretches is poor, with nearly 40 per cent ribbon development and heavy local commuter traffic, making the corridor unsuitable for smooth long-distance vehicular movement.
The new coastal highway will have a four-lane configuration from Rameshwar to Konark under Package-I and a two-lane road with paved shoulders from Konark to Paradip under Package-II. The highway has been designed for a speed of 100 kmph and is expected to improve travel efficiency, regional mobility and socio-economic development in the region.
The project is in line with the PM GatiShakti initiative and will connect nine economic nodes and five logistics nodes, which is expected to have a positive impact on the country’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI), the statement said.
Upon completion, travel time between Rameshwar and Paradip is expected to reduce by around two hours and 30 minutes, while providing safe, fast and seamless connectivity for passenger and freight traffic.
The project is also expected to reduce fuel consumption.