BHUBANESWAR: Even as the state government has urged the Centre numerous times to expedite pending national highway projects, the expansion of at least 20 NHs in Odisha is under various stages of bidding and construction.
As per data laid in the Parliament, 68 expansion projects related to 20 NHs have been taken up by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). While 42 projects are ongoing, the remaining 26 are either under bidding or the projects are yet to commence after the awarding of the work order.
Among the important stretches, are six-laning of the Bhadrak-Balasore section of NH-16, four-laning of the Rajamunda to Barkote section of NH-23, four-laning of NH 26 from Bargarh to Barpali and Barpali to Balangir, widening of NH 49 from Jharsuguda to Bhojpur, four-laning of Duburi Chandikhole section of NH-53, four-laning of Angul-Sambalpur and Cuttack-Angul of NH-55, construction of bypass on NH-59 near Berhampur town including four-lane RoB and six-laning of Dhanara-Hatibena section of NH-130-CD are ongoing and expected to be completed by March 2024.
Similarly, NHAI has set the deadline to complete four-laning of Talcher to the end of Kamakhyanagar bypass by June 2024, six-laning of seven more stretches of NH-130 CD by October 2024 and 20 more projects by the end of next year.
As many as 16 projects are under bidding and 10 expansion projects are yet to start even as the work has been awarded to construction agencies.
The work is yet to start on four to eight learning of the Chandikhole-Paradip section of NH-53 taken up for Rs 3,594 crore, widening and strengthening of Kuakhia-Mangalpur section of NH 20 for Rs 636 crore and construction of the two-lane with paved shoulder bypass to Bhawanipatna town for Rs 226 crore besides Rs 250 crore for Gopalpur port to Chatrapur and upgradation to the six-lane elevated configuration of existing NH-16.
However, the construction of a four-lane ROB with approaches on NH-26 at Kesinga and the construction of a bypass road on NH-26 to Balangir town taken up at Rs 287 crore and Rs 237 crore respectively is expected to be completed by mid-2025.
In a response to the question from Rajya Sabha member Mamata Mohanta, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said expansion of national highways is a continuous process. The pending projects will be completed as per the revised schedule, he added.