An estimated Rs 8,300.79 crore investment has been approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) of the Union Finance Ministry to build a vital section of the Odisha coastal route between Rameswar in Khordha and Paradip.
Once the item has been approved by the union cabinet, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be able to submit bids.
The Hybrid Annuity Model Will Include a Crucial Stretch
The New Indian Express states that the approved project would be built in two stages under the hybrid annuity model and covers 160.18 km of the 346-km greenfield coastline route.

The Kakatpur-Paradip portion will initially be constructed as a two-lane road with paved shoulders, while the Rameswar-Kakatpur segment is intended to be a four-lane access-controlled highway.
Included are underpasses, railway overpasses, and bridges.
According to the TNIE reports, the current DPR projects 89 small bridges, six viaducts, three rail overbridges, 45 underpasses, and 36 major bridges, including a 3.3-kilometer span over the Mahanadi River.
The highway is anticipated to cut the distance between Rameswar and Paradip from 210 km to 160.18 km once it is operational. It is anticipated that travel time will decrease by almost 45%, from the current period of approximately 5.5 hours to approximately three hours.

Wider Initiative to Extend the Odisha Road Network
The decision is in line with the state's continuous acceleration of infrastructure, with several highway projects moving forward concurrently. Public Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan has set a November deadline for finishing the 13.5-kilometer Sundarpada-Jatni four-lane corridor in the urban outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
In order to avoid post-construction delays, officials are currently resolving drainage, electrical, and sewage realignment. The link is anticipated to reduce traffic throughout the capital's rapidly expanding southern belt.
The proposed 40-kilometer Pipili–Konark greenfield route, which is intended to reduce travel time between the two towns to almost one-third of the current period and can reach speeds of up to 100 kmph, was also recently approved by the state cabinet.

Wider Initiative to Extend the Odisha Road System
The approval is in line with the state's ongoing infrastructure acceleration, as several highway projects move forward concurrently. Public Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan has set a November deadline for finishing the 13.5-km Sundarpada-Jatni four-lane corridor in the urban outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
In order to avoid post-construction delays, officials are currently resolving drainage, energy, and sewage realignment. The link is anticipated to alleviate traffic along the capital's rapidly expanding southern belt.
The proposed 40-kilometer Pipili–Konark greenfield route, which is intended to reduce travel time between the two towns to almost one-third of its current duration and can reach speeds of up to 100 kmph, was also recently approved by the state cabinet.As part of the same phase of network development, more widening projects in the Puri region are planned, including connectivity around the Jagannath Temple and important sections in Nimapara and Astarang.