Bhubaneswar, Nov 5: Geotechnical investigations and soil testing have officially commenced along the 67-kilometre stretch of National Highway 316 connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri, marking a significant step towards the proposed six-lane highway expansion.

The project, being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has appointed Geo Design & Research (P) Ltd. to conduct soil testing and geotechnical investigations. The initial testing activities are underway at Pattanikiya, Satsankha and Chandanpur.

As per the proposed plan, a 12-kilometre elevated corridor will be developed up to Lingipur Square, featuring six elevated highway lanes along with six service lanes. From Lingipur to Puri, the highway will have six main carriageway lanes and four service lanes.

Once completed, the ambitious infrastructure project is expected to reduce travel time between Bhubaneswar and Puri to approximately 45–50 minutes.

The expansion is aimed at addressing chronic traffic congestion along the busy route, particularly during weekends, peak tourist seasons and major religious occasions such as Rath Yatra and Suna Besha. The project is also expected to improve road connectivity, enhance travel convenience and facilitate smoother movement of pilgrims and tourists visiting the holy city of Puri.