Rameshwar–Paradip Coastal Highway Set to Begin Soon

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Wednesday announced that the long-delayed Coastal Highway project between Rameshwar and Paradip is finally moving forward, with all key processes now nearing completion.

The minister said the alignment for the 160.18 km stretch has been cleared, and construction will commence soon after approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCA). He pegged the project cost at around ₹8,300 crore. Harichandan also alleged that the previous government repeatedly stalled the alignment, delaying the project for years, as it did not want the Prime Minister’s development initiatives to gain visibility in the state.

The Rameshwar–Paradip section is part of the larger 346 km greenfield coastal corridor planned along Odisha’s coastline. This segment will be developed under the hybrid annuity model in two phases. The Rameshwar–Kakatpur stretch will be built as a four-lane access-controlled highway, while the Kakatpur–Paradip portion will be developed as a two-lane road with paved shoulders.

Earlier this year, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had to withdraw its initial tenders after last-minute changes in traffic estimates led to modifications in the design. Although originally proposed as a four-lane stretch, the Kakatpur–Paradip segment was revised to two lanes. This part of the project has received environmental and coastal regulation clearances, and forest clearance applications are currently under review.

The upcoming highway will feature major infrastructure components, including 36 large bridges, among them a 3.3 km bridge over the Mahanadi, along with 89 minor bridges, 376 culverts, six viaducts, three rail overbridges, 45 vehicle underpasses, and three flyovers. The Rameshwar–Kakatpur stretch is expected to boost tourism around Konark, while the Kakatpur–Paradip portion will enhance connectivity to rising ports and logistics hubs.

Once operational, the new highway will cut the travel distance between Rameshwar and Paradip from 210 km to 160.18 km, reducing travel time from the current five and a half hours to around three hours.