Dharmendra Pradhan seeks Nitin Gadkari’s help to expedite highway projects
BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday met Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi to discuss the progress and construction of major national highway projects being implemented in Odisha.
Pradhan informed that the progress of the Cuttack-Sambalpur national highway, coastal highway, Sambalpur ring road and Capital ring road were reviewed in the presence of senior officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Similarly, other projects like the national highway-53 from Duburi to Balhar Chhak passing through Bhuban and Kamakhyanagar in the Dhenkanal district and widening of the highway from Godibandh to Banarpal were also discussed.
Pradhan said issues relating to environmental clearance, tender process, alignment and other difficulties facing these highway projects were also discussed. Gadkari assured to expedite the construction of the NH projects.
While the four-laning of Cuttack-Sambalpur NH project which started in 2016-17 remained incomplete, NHAI has initiated the tender process for the `5,744 crore Odisha Capital Region Ring Road project which will be developed into a six-lane expressway from Rameswar in Khurda district to Tangi in Cuttack district.
Official sources said the NHAI has also initiated the process for obtaining forest and environment clearances for the project. The land acquisition process has also begun.