Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to road connectivity in southern Odisha, the State Government has decided to roll out the second phase of ambitious Biju Express project to ensure quality connectivity between two prominent cities of region – Berhampur and Jeypore.
A four-lane connectivity will be provided from Berhampur in Ganjam district to Jeypore in Koraput district for about 335 km with a cost of about Rs.6100 crore, mostly in greenfield under Biju Expressway-II.
The land acquisition for the mega project has been initiated, informed Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari while presenting the Budget in the Assembly.
The Biju Expressway-II project will reduce the travel time between the two cities from 10 hours to 5 hours and provide huge potential for economic growth and employment opportunities.
To provide the best connectivity to Western Odisha, the 4-lane Biju Expressway connecting Rourkela to Ampani for a length of 546 km has been constructed. Out of this, the last phase of 176 km from Ghatipada (Nuapada) to Ampani has been completed during 2022-23 with a cost of Rs.600 crore. It will be inaugurated shortly by the Chief Minister. Biju Expressway will be one of the drivers of economic growth of Western Odisha.
The transport sector is the harbinger of growth, prosperity and empowerment of the people of the State. Road infrastructure development is a major thrust area for the government. It has been the endeavor of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to ensure that quality connectivity is available to every corner of the State. The Gurupriya bridge in Swabhiman Anchal is the best example of this government’s sensitivity to connect the remotest parts of the State.