Centre nod to Odisha road expansion

BHUBANESWAR: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved expansion of Chandikhole-Duburi-Talcher section of NH-200. The section covers part of NH-23 in Odisha. The CCEA has approved Rs 1476.56 crore for the expansion work.
According to an official release, the expansion of 133-km road project will be undertaken under phase-III of National Highways Development Project.The work would be carried out on engineering, procurement and construction mode.
Under the project, single lane roads will be converted into two-laned ones and two-lane roads will be made four lanes, official sources said.
According to the release, the project aims at developing socio-economic condition of the regions rich in coal. It would also increase employment avenues for locals.
The project would also reduce time and cost of travel as the Chandikhole-Dubari-Talcher stretch is always jampacked with the mineral-laden heavy vehicles plying frequently. The expansion would also reduce accidents. The highway is an important link for Talcher and Angul towns with the NH-3 connecting Kolkata and Chennai.