BHUBANESWAR/PIPILI:Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari on Thursday announced construction of coastal highway from Digha to Gopalpur at an estimated cost of Rs 5000 crore.
Dedicating the four-laning of Puri-Bhubaneswar section (67.2 Kms) of the NH-316 (old NH-203) to the public at Pipili in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Gadkari said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed NH will be prepared before December.
The major portion of the new NH will pass through Odisha coast, he said and added that the Government is giving top priority for road connectivity.
In response to the proposal of his colleague Dharmendra Pradhan, Gadkari also announced inclusion of the Jagannath Sadak a 40-km stretch of road connecting NH-316 with NH-5.
“My colleague Pradhan has been demanding for the coastal highway and expansion of the Jagannath Sadak,” Gadkari said.
The Union Minister sought the cooperation of the State Government for land acquisition and necessary environment clearance at the State level. Earlier, Gadkari inaugurated the highway toll plaza at Pipili.
The Puri-Bhubaneswar NH-203 which has become NH-316, was built at a cost of Rs 810 crore. The work began in March 2011.
Henceforth, all the National Highways will be cement concrete road and the Ministry has planned to procure 95 lakh tonnes of cement, he said.
The Chief Minister in his address focused on the socio-economic projects his Government had undertaken. Union Communication Minister RS Prasad, MPs Pinaki Mishra, Prasanna Patsani and Baishnab Parida, Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy were also present.
Timely action by the police averted a possible clash among BJP and BJD workers.