Bhubaneswar: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari launched 19 national highway projects in Odisha, worth Rs 4,137 crore, at a special ceremony in Baramunda ground in Bhubaneswar.
He laid foundation stones for 17 projects and inaugurated two highway sections. This significant investment aims to boost Odisha’s infrastructure, echoing the Centre’s substantial spending on national highways in the state, nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. The projects will enhance connectivity and facilitate economic growth.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CMs Pravati Parida and KV Singh Deo, MPs, MLAs and ministers were present at the programme.
Gadkari laid the foundation stones for 13 national highway projects worth Rs 2,905 crore. As a part of these projects, new roads will be built and existing roads will be widened in Khurda, Puri, Ganjam, Kandhamal, and Nayagarh districts.
A total of 105 km of roads will be constructed.
He also laid the foundation stones for four bridges worth Rs 427 crore. These bridges, having a combined length of 4.82 km, will be built on the Berhampur-Gopalpur and Rourkela-Biramitrapur highways under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund.
Gadkari also inaugurated two sections of NH-59 and NH-130CD. The combined length of the two sections is 44 km, and has been built at Rs 841 crore.