The 382 km coastal highway project has got its consent from Odisha government for the new alignment proposal. As per the revised alignment, the highway will now begin from Tangi in Khurda instead of Satapada in Puri district, bypass Chilika lake and culminate at Digha touching Brahmagiri, Puri, Konark, Astarang, Naugaon, Paradip Port, Ratanpur, Satabhaya, Dhamra, Basudevpur, Talapada, Chandipur and Chandaneswar.
The highway project has received a general permission from the state government. “Initially, it will be constructed as a two-lane highway and later expanded to four-lane depending on traffic. We will conduct the survey to estimate the areas coming under forest, CRZ, government and private categories,” he said. Estimated at ₹8,000 crore, the construction cost is likely to be escalated up to ₹10,000 crore as more bridges and culverts will be required to avoid the eco-sensitive areas.
