Union Minister Nitin Gadkari declares Gopalpur-Digha road as national highway, Rs 5,000 crore to be spent

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari declares Gopalpur-Digha road as national highway, Rs 5,000 crore to be spent

Declaring the proposed coastal road from Goplapur in Odisha to Digha in West Bengal as National Highway, Union minister for shipping, road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari today said, the detailed project report for the 500 km stretch will be ready in this year.

"About Rs 5,000 crore will be invested by the Centre for the project. I declare the 500 km road as National Highway," Gadkari said after inaugurating the NH-316 connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri.

The proposed road would help connect several upcoming ports in the state like Gopalpur, Astaranga, Paradeep, Kirtania and Chandipur. Since the state's coastline is susceptible to frequent cyclonic storms, a good coastal highway can aid in efficient rescue and relief operations in cyclone prone areas of the state, the chief minister had suggested.