Cabinet Approves ₹8,308 Crore Six-Lane Bhubaneswar Bypass Project: Minister Vaishnaw

Quick Summary

• The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹8,307.74 crore project for constructing a six-lane access-controlled capital region ring road (Bhubaneswar Bypass) in Odisha under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
• The proposed 110 km-long greenfield highway aims to alleviate congestion on the current National Highway between Rameshwar and Tangi, which passes through urban hubs like Khordha, Bhubaneswar, and cuttack.
• The corridor will connect three National Highways (NH-55, NH-57, NH-655) and one State Highway (SH-65), improving access to economic and logistics hubs.
• It will also integrate with existing transport infrastructure such as railways, an airport, a forthcoming multi-modal logistics park (MMLP), and two major ports.
• benefits include reduced logistics costs for freight transport while diverting heavy traffic away from urban centers in Odisha.
• Key socio-economic impacts: the project is expected to catalyze regional trade,industrial development,religious tourism connectivity,and contribute to economic growth in eastern India.
• Employment generation during construction is anticipated at approximately 74.43 lakh person-days directly and 93.04 lakh person-days indirectly.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The approval of the Bhubaneswar Bypass represents a significant investment in India’s eastern infrastructure network with anticipated benefits across multiple sectors such as transportation efficiency, trade enhancement, employment creation, and regional development in Odisha. By addressing persistent traffic congestion issues near dense urban zones like Cuttack and Bhubaneswar while integrating key transport modes-roadways with railways or ports-the initiative aligns well with India’s focus on seamless connectivity under its infrastructure modernization agenda (“Gati Shakti”).

Investment through HAM balances public-private participation risks but requires robust project execution for timely completion given its strategic significance for streamlining cargo movement along vital corridors connecting hinterlands to large markets or ports. Timely delivery could open avenues of heightened economic potential not only within Odisha but across India’s less-industrialized eastern belt too.

Read more: The Hindu