Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday held a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan to review the proposed expansion and modernisation of National Highway-316 connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri.
The meeting, held in the third-floor conference hall under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, discussed the proposed roadmap, alignment plan and utility aspects of the project aimed at improving connectivity between the state capital and the pilgrim city of Puri.
Officials discussed the proposal to expand the existing 67-km national highway from four lanes to six lanes along with the construction of dedicated two-lane service roads on both sides.
The meeting also deliberated on construction of a six-lane elevated corridor along the 11-km stretch from Saptasati Chhak to Lingipur Chhak with three-lane service roads on either side to facilitate smoother traffic flow in Bhubaneswar and reduce travel time between the two cities.
Singh stressed the need for close inter-departmental coordination for effective implementation of the project roadmap prepared under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and under the supervision of Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
According to officials, wayside amenity facilities are proposed at multiple locations along the highway to improve convenience for passengers and tourists travelling between Bhubaneswar and Puri.
Considering the cyclone-prone nature of the region, emphasis was also laid on developing a dedicated utility corridor for electricity, telephone, internet, water supply and gas pipelines along the route.
The Principal Secretary directed officials to prepare the final design keeping future infrastructure requirements in view, including the proposed airport in Puri, the coastal highway project and anticipated population growth. He also emphasised incorporation of elevated corridors, flyovers and Vehicle Under Passes (VUPs) wherever necessary for efficient traffic management.
Among those present at the meeting were Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Chanchal Rana, Engineer-in-Chief-cum-Special Secretary L.K. Padhi, EIC (Civil) Satyabrata Behera, Joint Secretary Dipti Ranjan Behera, Deputy Secretary Sundar Madhab Padhi, Chief Engineer (NH) Narayan Patel, and senior officials from the National Highways Authority of India, TPCODL, Forest and Environment Department, WATCO and OPTCL.
