Odisha plans Rs 700-crore bridge over Kathajodi for expansion of metro rail project

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has planned to construct a new bridge over Kathajodi river to facilitate the expansion of the proposed Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project up to Netaji Bus Terminal in Cuttack city.

The new bridge will connect Trisulia with Belview Square in Cuttack. The state government will spend around Rs 700 crore on the project, sources said.

Earlier, the state government had decided to build a new bridge over Kathajodi river with an expenditure of Rs 220 crore to boost road communication between the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited (OB&CC) has invited tenders for the project. However, the project has been cancelled recently, sources added.

“The government has cancelled tenders for the proposed four-lane bridge project. It has now planned to construct a multi-purpose bridge over Kathajodi to facilitate metro rail service up to Netaji Bus Terminal. The bridge will be constructed with an expenditure of Rs 700 crore. The government will soon invite tenders for the bridge project,” said a highly-placed source.

The new bridge will have rail tracks to facilitate the expansion of the metro rail project, it added.

The state government had announced a metro rail project for the capital region a few months ago. In the first phase, the project will connect Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in the capital city here with Trisulia Square. The project will be constructed with an expenditure of Rs 6,255 crore. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to lay foundation stone for the project on January 1.

The state government has planned to expand the proposed metro rail project up to Netaji Bus Terminal via Judicial Academy, Sishu Bhawan, Orissa High Court and Purighat. A detailed project report (DPR) is now being prepared for this purpose, sources said.