India approves four highway projects worth 24,200 crore

The Indian government has approved four major national highway projects with a combined investment exceeding 24,200 crore rupees. The approvals were granted by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The projects are located in Odisha, Telangana, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. Collectively, they will cover more than 700 kilometers and are intended to improve regional connectivity, ease traffic congestion, and strengthen logistics infrastructure under the national PM GatiShakti development plan.

In Odisha, the government approved the construction of a new 160.18-kilometer coastal highway from Rameshwar to Paradip at an estimated cost of 8,300.79 crore rupees. The project will be developed in two packages: a four-lane stretch from Rameshwar to Konark and a two-lane carriageway with paved shoulders from Konark to Paradip. Officials stated the highway will pass through the districts of Khurda, Puri, Kendrapada, and Jagatsinghpur and is expected to reduce travel time between Rameshwar and Paradip by approximately two and a half hours. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the project would accelerate the transformation of the...