The Centre has approved a project to widen and strengthen the existing single lane on National Highway 53 in Angul district into two lanes with a paved shoulder in selected stretches and construct three bypass roads at Rengali, Bajrakot and Takua.
Widening and strengthening of the NH-53 in Angul district will be done at a budget of Rs 174.2 crore, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari announced on Sunday in a series of tweets.
“This highway connects the major industrial and mining corridors in the state of Odisha with Paradip port. Widening and strengthening of the selected missing stretches and construction of bypasses will enable speed mobility to ensure more safety for road users,” Gadkari further said.
The Union minister added that the stretch will facilitate the smooth movement of heavy vehicles and boost the socio-economic development in this industrial corridor, which consists of large companies including Coal India, NTPC and Jindal Steel, etc.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gadkari for the approval of the project. “This will ensure smooth, safe and speedy mobility, aid industrial development and boost socio-economic development of Angul and adjoining region,” he added.
Construction of four lanes in the Teleibani-Sambalpur section of NH-53 is underway at present.