Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced that the four-lane expansion project of National Highway 55 (NH-55) between Cuttack and Angul will be completed by April 2025.
This announcement followed an inquiry from Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pani during the Lok Sabha session. The project spans 112 kilometres and is part of a broader plan to improve road connectivity in Odisha.
The minister confirmed the operational status of the 150-kilometer stretch from Angul to Sambalpur, marking significant progress in the project. However, the expansion work from Cuttack to Sambalpur faced challenges, including delays due to land acquisition issues, forest clearance requirements, financial hurdles encountered by contractors, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To expedite the completion, Gadkari highlighted that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is closely monitoring progress, and holding regular stakeholder meetings to ensure smooth coordination. The revised targets for the first two segments—Cuttack to Dhenkanal and Dhenkanal to Angul—are set for March and April 2025, respectively. This critical infrastructure project aims to address public inconvenience and bolster economic growth in the region.
