Bhubaneswar: Odisha Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Wednesday said the long-pending Coastal Highway project between Rameshwar and Paradip is finally moving ahead with all key processes nearing completion.

He said that the route for the project has been cleared, and construction will start soon after the CCA gives its approval. The minister estimated the project cost at around Rs 8,300 crore.

Harichandan alleged that the previous government repeatedly stalled the highway’s alignment, which delayed the project for years. He claimed the earlier government did not want the Prime Minister’s development initiatives to gain visibility in Odisha.

Also read: Tourism boost: Odisha govt, Paradip Port Authority to join hands for cruise terminal at Puri.

As per information, the 160.18 km Rameshwar-Paradip segment is part of the larger 346 km greenfield corridor planned along the state’s coastline. This stretch will be taken up under the hybrid annuity model in two phases. The first portion from Rameshwar to Kakatpur will be developed as a four-lane access-controlled road, while the Kakatpur-Paradip section will be built as a two-lane highway with paved shoulders.

Earlier this year, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had to scrap its initial tenders for the segment after last-minute changes in traffic estimates forced modifications in the design. Though originally planned as a four-lane road, the Kakatpur-Paradip portion was reduced to two lanes. This part of the project has already secured environmental and coastal regulation clearances, and applications for forest clearance are in process.

Features of the highway

The upcoming highway will include major structures such as 36 large bridges, including a 3.3 km bridge over the Mahanadi, along with 89 minor bridges, 376 culverts, six viaducts, three rail overbridges and 45 vehicle underpasses. Three flyovers are also planned along the route.

The stretch between Rameshwar and Kakatpur, spanning 79.4 km, is expected to support tourism traffic around Konark, while the Kakatpur-Paradip segment has been designed to improve connectivity to upcoming ports and logistics hubs.

Once operational, the highway will significantly reduce the travel distance between Rameshwar and Paradip from 210 km to 160.18 km. The travel time is also projected to drop from the current five and a half hours to about three hours.