BHUBANESWAR: Three port road projects of the State have been identified under Sagarmala programme. Six laning of 76.64 km Paradip-Chandikhole section of NH-5A, four laning of Jamujhadi-Dhamra road connecting Dhamra Port and connectivity to Gopalpur Port from Chhatrapur are among 79 port connectivity projects identified by the Centre during the Integrated Transport and Logistic summit held in New Delhi in May.
The Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and National Highways Authority of India have signed an MoU for development of 79 port road connectivity projects, including the three projects in Odisha under Sagarmala programme, official sources said. The main object of these projects is to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in the State.
Though an investment proposal of `1014.36 crore for six laning of Chandikhole-Paradip section of NH 5A under National Highway Development Project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure in 2012, the project could not be taken up due to land acquisition problem.The project passes through three districts of Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur and will be developed as partially access controlled facility with provision of service roads, interaction, underpass and flyovers.
The expansion of the road encompasses 14 major bridges with 11 vehicular and 16 cattle-pedestrian underpasses. A 54.53 km length of service road with a toll plaza and 53 bus bays have been proposed in the final detail design report, sources added.
The major challenge of the project was to make alignment in such a manner that bare minimum structures are taken for land acquisition. An area of 7.2 km in Paradip town which is thickly populated and falls within the proposed right-of-way alignment was adjusted to minimise the land acquisition.
The State Government is reported to have submitted 13 major infrastructure project proposals to NITI Aayog for consideration. Out of them, only three have been included in national perspective plan under Sagarmala programme.
Had the Centre accepted the other proposals, ports proposed at Kirtania, Chudamani, Astaranga and Baliharchandi would have benefited, the sources said.