The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has received an enthusiastic response from bidders for the 111-km six-lane greenfield Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR) project in Odisha, signalling robust industry confidence in one of the state’s largest infrastructure initiatives.
NHAI invited bids for the project in three packages under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). All three packages attracted strong participation:
- Package-I: 23 bids
- Package-II: 25 bids
- Package-III: 16 bids
The authority expects to finalise and award the contracts by March 2026, with construction scheduled to begin shortly thereafter and be completed within 2.5 years.
Approved by the Union Cabinet, the ₹8,307.74 crore project will connect Rameshwar to Tangi, creating an access-controlled bypass around Bhubaneswar. Nearly 96% of the required land has already been acquired, and forest, wildlife, and environmental clearances are in place, paving the way for swift execution.
The ring road is designed to ease chronic congestion in the urban centres of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Khordha by diverting through traffic away from city roads. The new corridor is expected to improve regional connectivity, reduce logistics costs, create substantial employment opportunities during construction and operation, and drive long-term economic growth in the capital region. It will also provide safer and faster travel options for commuters and freight movement.
The overwhelming bidder response underscores the growing attractiveness of Odisha’s infrastructure pipeline and the continued interest of private players in large-scale national highway projects under the government’s infrastructure push.
