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Published By : Chinmaya Dehury | November 19, 2025 7:14 PM
utkal-university-students-protest-closure-of-educational-institutions

Bhubaneswar, Nov 19: The long-delayed Rameshwar–Paradip Coastal Highway project has finally moved forward, receiving approval from the Finance Minister’s appraisal committee. The first phase of the project is estimated to cost around ₹8,300 crore.

Odisha Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan informed on Wednesday that the central committee has cleared the highway alignment, paving the way for the project to advance.

The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) of the Ministry of Finance has endorsed a major portion of the larger Rameshwar–Digha coastal corridor, which carries an estimated budget of ₹8,300.79 crore.

According to Harichandan, the Rameshwar–Konark segment will be developed as a four-lane highway, while the stretch from Konark to Paradip will be built as a double-lane paved shoulder (DLPS) road. Construction is expected to begin soon after the Cadre Controlling Authority (CCA) grants its final approval, after which the project will move into the tendering stage.

Harichandan criticized the previous state administration, alleging that it repeatedly obstructed the alignment process and delayed the project for several years.

He claimed the earlier government was reluctant to allow the Prime Minister’s development initiatives to gain traction in Odisha.

The 160.18 km Rameshwar–Paradip stretch forms part of a larger 346 km greenfield coastal corridor planned along Odisha’s shoreline. The project is being executed in phases, with the Rameshwar–Konark–Paradip route designated as the first package.

This 160.18 km segment will be constructed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) in two parts: a four-lane access-controlled highway from Rameshwar to Kakatpur, and a two-lane road with paved shoulders from Kakatpur to Paradip.

Earlier in May, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was forced to cancel tenders for the Rameshwar–Paradip section after last-minute alignment changes based on revised traffic assessments. Initially designed as a four-lane highway, the 80.78 km Kakatpur–Paradip stretch was subsequently downgraded to a two-lane DLPS configuration.