The Odisha government held a comprehensive review meeting to push forward several critical national highway projects aimed at strengthening the state’s connectivity and transportation network.
Works Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh chaired the virtual meeting and urged district collectors, senior officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Railways, and engineers to expedite land acquisition, forest land clearances, and tender processes.
Key projects discussed included the **111-km Capital Region Ring Road** around Bhubaneswar, the **21-km Cuttack-Kandarpur road**, the **17-km Bangripali-Godibandha stretch**, the **35-km Sambalpur Bypass**, and the ambitious **160-km Coastal Highway**.
The meeting also addressed challenges in ongoing stretches such as Cuttack-Angul, Duburi-Chandikhol, Chandikhol-Paradip, and the Baharagora-Singhara section under NH-49, along with 32 projects under the direct supervision of the Works Department.
Singh emphasised resolving persistent land acquisition issues through proactive intervention led by district collectors.
A separate session reviewed the progress of multiple Railway Over Bridge (ROB) projects across the state, focusing on current status, construction hurdles, and mitigation strategies.
Stressing the government’s firm commitment to completing all infrastructure works within stipulated deadlines, the Principal Secretary directed officials to ensure strict adherence to timelines.
The meeting saw virtual participation from district collectors of Cuttack, Khordha, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, and Mayurbhanj, alongside senior NHAI and Railway officials, departmental heads, and superintending engineers from various zones.
