Bhubaneswar, March 14: The Odisha government is set to construct an elevated corridor on the Jayadev Vihar-Nandankanan Road in Bhubaneswar, following the model of Nagpur's elevated roads. The move is aimed at alleviating the heavy traffic congestion on this key route in the capital city, Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan announced on Friday.
The proposed elevated corridor will stretch from Jayadev Vihar Square to Nandankanan and will be integrated with the existing Jayadev Vihar flyover.
The Minister revealed that the corridor will feature a double-decker design, with the first level dedicated to a four-lane road for vehicular traffic, while the second level will be allocated to the upcoming metro rail project. The total estimated cost of the project is around Rs 2,700 crore, and it is expected to significantly improve connectivity within the city. Construction is slated to begin by the end of April, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is currently being prepared. The final design and execution strategy will be finalized soon.
According to the initial plan, the elevated corridor will be constructed at a height of approximately 8 meters (26.24 feet) above the road, while the metro track will be positioned 14 meters (46 feet) above the ground. This approach has been chosen to avoid the disruptions that would be caused by expanding the road at ground level, such as relocating residents and cutting down thousands of trees along the stretch.
Sources indicated that the elevated corridor will eliminate the need for time-consuming land acquisition, which would otherwise be required for road expansion.
Notably, the state government is planning the first phase of the metro project, which will cover a 26-km stretch between Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar and Trisulia in Cuttack, with an investment of Rs 6,225 crore. The foundation stone for this project was laid on January 1 last year at Ratagada Lenka Sahi near Trisulia.
The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has already started preliminary work on the elevated corridor, with the metro depot at Phulapokhari, on the city outskirts, also under construction. For the flyover project, IIT Madras has been brought on board for a pilot traffic study.
The state government has allocated Rs 304 crore for this project in the current fiscal year.
