Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited construction work on the Cuttack-Sambalpur National Highway No. 55 is expected to be completed by the end of this year, as informed by Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Thursday.
In a statement to the media, Minister Harichandan shared that the 265 km stretch of the highway, which is being upgraded from a double lane to a four-lane road, has reached its final stages of construction.
However, the project faced significant delays due to financial issues faced by the agency initially tasked with the work.
“The construction work has now almost reached completion, with only one or two patches remaining. Once those are finished, we will address road damage caused by the Vehicular Underpass (VUP) construction. Despite this, the overall progress is positive, and I am confident that the remaining work, including the VUP, will be completed by the end of this year,” said Minister Harichandan.
The project, which began in 2017, was initially targeted for completion by 2020. However, various challenges, including forest land acquisition issues and the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to the delays.
Once completed, the Cuttack-Sambalpur National Highway No. 55 will play a crucial role in improving connectivity between two major cities in Odisha, facilitating smoother transportation for both passengers and freight.
