BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is all set to roll out a comprehensive and ambitious roadmap under the State Road Policy 2025 that aims at transforming the state’s road infrastructure.
The new road policy notified by the Works department has provisioned inclusive, resilient and sustainable connectivity with a special focus on rural access, industrial growth corridors, road safety, and climate conscious planning. The government has plans to connect all villages and habitations with a population of 100 or more, through all-weather sustainable roads by 2028.
According to the new policy, the road network will be classified into urban and non-urban roads irrespective of their ownership. All state highways will be developed to at least four-lane standard and all major district roads (MDRs) and other district roads (ODRs) will preferably be improved to at least two-lane standard.
All roads catering to major mining and industrial traffic will be upgraded to at least six-lane configurations, with two-lane service roads and adequate utility corridors. Roads with traffic exceeding 7,500 passenger car units (PCU) will be prioritised for four-lane expansion.
“Road planning in disaster-prone areas will emphasise all-weather infrastructure with elevated stretches and adequate culverts. Climate change considerations will be integrated into all phases of road development. Bridges will be designed in coordination with the Department of Water Resources and the Inland Waterways Authority of India to ensure regulatory compliance and avoid execution hurdles,” the policy read.
The Odisha Road Safety Action Plan led by the Odisha Road Safety Society (ORSS), will guide collaborative efforts between departments and civil society. Road safety audits will be mandatory at all project stages, and black spots on highways and major roads will be rectified annually.
Bridges located inside or nearby habitations, ROBs, flyovers, under passes and foot overbridges will be carefully planned and designated looking at the surrounding aesthetics and optimising the use of materials in view of strength, durability and slenderness.
Works minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said a total of 75,000 km of roads will be constructed in the state over next five years. “We have set a target to construct 15,000 km of roads every year. Sustainable methods will be adopted with improved engineering for aesthetic designs and to avoid road accidents,” he said.