Despite the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) recently giving in-principle approval for four new national highway projects in Odisha, 13 critical sections spanning 630 km out of the 20 ongoing projects over a total of 776 km have failed to meet their completion deadlines.

According to sources, several key projects are significantly delayed. These include the four-laning of the 251.5 km Cuttack-Sambalpur NH-55, undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 44.90 billion, the four-laning of the 50 km Rajamunda-Barkote NH-143 at Rs 6.16 billion, and the six-laning of the 62.6 km Bhadrak-Balasore section of NH-16 at Rs 11.89 billion, all of which are running more than three years behind schedule.

In addition to these, the four-laning of the 41.7 km Talcher-Kamakhyanagar section of NH-53, costing Rs 7.95 billion, and the four-laning of the 39.4 km Duburi-Chandikhole section of NH-53, costing Rs 7.89 billion, have been delayed for over a year.

Similarly, the six-laning of the 185.3 km Raipur-Visakhapatnam section of NH-130-CD, undertaken at Rs 67.82 billion under six packages in Odisha, has also been pending completion for at least a year.

The expansion of NH-55 into a four-lane highway, which began in 2017-18, was initially expected to be completed by 2020-21. However, the national highway, crucial for connectivity between coastal and western Odisha, has become a major inconvenience for commuters due to the prolonged delay and the lack of maintenance of the existing road.

Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) attributed the delays to several factors, including land acquisition issues, delays in obtaining forest clearances, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the slow progress by contractors. They indicated that work on NH-55 has resumed after a brief pause, with new deadlines set. The Angul-Sambalpur section is expected to be completed by October this year, while the Cuttack-Angul section is anticipated to be finished by the end of December.

According to the revised timelines, the four-laning of the Rajamunda-Barkote NH-143 is also expected to be completed by December 31, with delays previously caused by issues related to the relocation of high-tension electric towers and the construction of a 696-metre-long major bridge.