In a bid to minimise traffic rush between Cuttack and industrial and mining belt of Dhenkanal, Angul and Talcher, a total length of 112 km of the NH-55 will be widened. PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation of the project in presence of Governor Dr Ganesi Lal, CM Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan by videoconferencing. The project cost is Rs 999.32 crore.
Sources said, the 112 km road will pass through three major bridges, 21 miner bridges, five flyovers, one rail over bridge, seven elephant corridors and two bypasses at Indipur and Angul.
During the video conference held at the Exhibition Ground at Mahisapat here, the National Highway Authority of India expressed 23,000 treesm were cut for completion of the project. The contract agency M/s Gayatri Projects has assured to complete the work by 2020.
Among others, NHAI Project Director Pramod Kumar Sabat, GM Mahabir Singh, Vice-President BB Bhaskar, Dhenkanal ADM Purna Chandra Mishra, Sub-Collector Pitambar Samal, former Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Panny, former Sadar MLA Krushna Chandra Patra, BJP district president Bibhuti Pradhan, former Dhenkanal Municipality Chairman Surendra Mishra, Nabin Chandra Dalei, Sunil Sharma, former Bar Association president Naba Kishore Guru, Sanjay Mishra, and Rama Chandra Patra were present.