"Big step": Dharmendra Pradhan after Centre clears Bhubaneshwar six-lane capital region ring road project

New Delhi [India], August 19 (ANI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Centre cleared Rs 8307.74 crore Bhubaneshwar six-lane capital region ring road project
The BJP leader said that the project will be a very "big step" towards a "developed Odisha" and a "developed India".
"I express my gratitude to PM Modi on behalf of the 4.5 crore people of Odisha. The much-desired Capital Region Ring Road will be a six-lane superhighway of 111 kms at a cost of approximately Rs 8,377 crores. It will be an access-controlled highway. This will be a very big step towards the reconstruction of Odisha, towards a developed Odisha and a developed India...," the minister told reporters here.
He alleged that the non-cooperation of the previous Odisha government led to a delay in the project
"In the past, it got delayed due to the lack of cooperation from the Odisha government. Today, due to the presence of the BJP government in Odisha, the pace of its development has increased. The double-engine government is using double force..."
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today has approved construction of 6-Lane Access-Controlled Capital Region Ring Road (Bhubaneswar Bypass - 110.875 km) in Odisha on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 8307.74 crore.
As per an official statement currently, connectivity between Rameshwar to Tangi on existing National Highway experience significant congestion due to high traffic volumes, passing through highly urbanized cities Khordha, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. To address these challenges, the project is proposed to be developed as 6-Lane Access-Controlled Greenfield Highway. The project will provide significant benefit to Odisha and other eastern States by diverting heavy commercial traffic away from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khordha Cities. This will enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reducing logistics cost and driving socio-economic growth in the region.
The project alignment integrates with 3 major National Highways (NH-55, NH-57 and NH-655) and 1 State Highway (SH-65), providing seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes across Odisha. Additionally, the upgraded corridor will enhance multi-modal integration by connecting with 10 Economic Nodes, 04 Social Nodes and 05 Logistic Nodes, providing enhanced multimodality with 1 Major Railway Station, 1 Airport, 1 proposed Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP), and 2 major Ports thereby facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers across the region.
Upon completion, the bypass will play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, strengthening connectivity between major religious and economic centers and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development. The project will also generate approximately 74.43 Lakhs person-days of direct and 93.04 lakh person-days of indirect employment, and will open new avenues of growth, development and prosperity in surrounding regions. (ANI)