Odisha’s new 160-km Coastal Highway to cut Rameshwar-Paradeep travel time by 2.5 hours

Odisha's new 160-kilometer Coastal Highway is set to drastically reduce travel time between Rameshwar and Paradeep, cutting it by approximately 2.5 hours. The highway, being developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is expected to boost connectivity across several key locations in the state. The highway will progress in two stages: the first covering 79.4 kilometers between Rameshwar and Konark, and the second extending 80.7 kilometers from Konark to Paradeep.

The first segment will be a four-lane access-controlled highway, while the second will be a two-lane highway with paved shoulders. The entire project carries a capital cost of Rs 8,300.79 crore and will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). The highway will boast a design speed of 100 kmph, providing faster and more direct access to major tourist spots like the Jagannath Temple, Puri Beach, and Konark Sun Temple.

Additionally, it will offer an alternative route to NH-16 and NH-316, enhancing connectivity to Puri, Konark, Paradeep Port, and the upcoming Puri International Airport. This new corridor will also aid in addressing traffic congestion on existing routes, such as NH-16, which runs through high-traffic urban areas like Khurda, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack, and NH-316, which connects Bhubaneswar with Puri and extends towards Satapada and Konark.

Sections of the existing Puri-Satpada and Puri-Konark routes have nearly 40% ribbon development and carry substantial local traffic, making them less suitable for high-speed, long-distance traffic. By eliminating these bottlenecks, the new highway is expected to improve long-distance traffic flow, lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and reduce vehicle operating costs.

The project is expected to generate around 53.6 lakh direct man-days and 67 lakh indirect man-days of employment during construction.