JEYPORE: The upcoming Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor is expected to significantly boost connectivity and accelerate economic growth in southern Odisha, particularly in Koraput and Nabarangpur districts.
The six-lane, greenfield highway is being developed as part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana at a cost of `16,000 crore. Spanning about 465 km, the corridor will connect Abhanpur near Raipur in Chhattisgarh with Sabbavaram near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, passing through three states. The project is being executed in 15 packages under the Hybrid Annuity Model, three in Chhattisgarh, eight in Odisha and four in Andhra Pradesh. The corridor includes three tunnels, two of them in Odisha.
Regional officer of the National Highways Authority of India NHAI, Bhubaneswar Veerendra Singh said, “In Odisha, the corridor covers a 240-km stretch divided into eight contract packages. Six packages have been completed. Work on all the packages will be completed by June this year. Once operational, the corridor will give a major boost to road communication in tribal areas.”
In Koraput district, seven interchanges have been planned at Kaliagura and Benasur in Borigumma, Tala in Koraput block, Lunguri near Nalco chowk and Kunduli in Semiliguda, besides Baraja and Talagolara in Pottangi. These interchanges will serve as key entry and exit points, integrating the corridor with other highways and major district roads, and improving last-mile connectivity.
A key highlight in Odisha is the state’s first six-lane twin-cell highway tunnel of 3.42 km under package OD-07 in Koraput. The tunnel is equipped with cross passages, jet fans, advanced fire-fighting systems and control centres on both sides to ensure safety and smooth traffic flow.
Another critical stretch under package OD-08, covering 22.5 km from Kandili to Tumbigura, passes through the rugged ghat sections. This segment features tunnels, viaducts, major and minor bridges, vehicular underpasses, wildlife crossings, monkey canopies and noise barriers, with special emphasis on environmental safeguards.
Officials said the corridor will strengthen inter-district connectivity in Odisha and facilitate faster movement of goods to port cities such as Visakhapatnam. Farmers and forest-dependent communities in Koraput and Nabarangpur are expected to benefit from improved market access, lower transportation costs and reduced post-harvest losses.