The Union Cabinet has given the green light to several major highway projects across four Indian states, including a new coastal highway in Odisha and widening and upgrading projects in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Telangana. The decisions were made by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Odisha Coastal Highway Project
The Cabinet approved the construction of a new coastal highway from Rameshwar to Paradeep in Odisha under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The project is divided into two packages with a combined length of 160.18 kilometers and a total capital cost of Rs 8,300.79 crore. The route passes through the districts of Khurda, Puri, Kendrapada, and Jagatsinghpur. The existing road network, including NH-16 and NH-316, suffers from poor geometry and heavy local traffic, especially along the Puri-Satapada and Puri-Konark stretches. The new highway will feature a 4-lane configuration from Rameshwar to Konark (Package 1) and a 2-lane with paved shoulder from Konark to Paradeep (Package 2), with a design speed of 100 km/h. Upon completion, travel time between Rameshwar and Paradeep is expected to reduce by about 2 hours and 30 minutes, along with significant reductions in fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and vehicle operating costs. The project aligns with PM GatiShakti principles and will connect 9 economic nodes and 5 logistics nodes.
Madhya Pradesh Highway Upgradation
The Cabinet also approved the upgradation of the Hiwarkhedi-Roshni-Ashapur-Rudhy section of NH-347B (125.01 km) from intermediate lane to 2-lane with paved shoulder, and widening of the Deshgaon-Julwaniya section (108.643 km) to 4 lanes, both under HAM, at a cost of Rs 4,415.60 crore. These projects will address geometric deficiencies, sharp curves, and congestion in built-up areas across Betul, Khandwa, Khargone, and Barwani districts. A 16.20 km greenfield bypass of Khargone district will also be developed. The upgrades will increase average travel speeds, reduce travel time, and improve road safety and fuel efficiency.
Telangana Highway Widening
The Cabinet approved widening of the Armoor-Jagtial-Mancherial section of NH-63 under HAM and the Jagtial-Karimnagar section of NH-563 under Build-Operate-Transfer (Toll) to 4-lane standard. The combined length is 190.76 km with a total cost of Rs 7,597.16 crore. These sections pass through heavily built-up areas in Nizamabad, Jagtial, Mancherial, and Karimnagar districts, which currently face severe congestion. The project includes bypasses with open tolling and a design speed of 100 km/h. Travel time is expected to reduce by about 1 hour 30 minutes between Armoor and Mancherial, and by about 45 minutes between Jagtial and Karimnagar, along with reductions in fuel consumption and emissions.
Bihar Highway Upgradation
Finally, the Cabinet approved upgradation of the Khagaria-Purnea section of NH-31 and NH-231 to 4-lane standard (143.529 km) in Bihar under BOT (Toll) mode at a cost of Rs 3,936.05 crore. This project will address geometric deficiencies and congestion in Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar, and Purnia districts. A 6.729 km greenfield bypass of Purnea city will also be developed. Travel time is expected to reduce to about two hours. The corridor will enhance multi-modal integration by connecting with 5 PM GatiShakti economic nodes and 11 logistics nodes, facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers.
