The Hindu 04.09.2013
60-km road project on the anvil
With an objective to facilitate a robust public
transport system to Bhubaneswarites, the State government is
contemplating laying a 60-km road by widening the existing road and
making new stretches in the Capital City.
To execute
the ambitious plan, the government has estimated fund requirement to the
tune of Rs. 1300 crore. The proposal was taken up for discussion at the
high-level steering committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik here on Tuesday.
The road, approximately
60-km-long, will connect Lingipur junction on National Highway 316,
Jatani Road, Tamando, Chandaka, Nandankanan and Pahala on National
Highway 16.
According to sources, the BDA is
preparing a detailed project report of four lane road with provision of
BRTS corridor of eight metre along the centre of ring road encircling
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area and a part of Bhubaneswar
Development area.
Alignment of the master plan road
with width of 200 feet will be changed keeping in mind the road
geometrics, village areas and forestland. At present, the by-pass
national highway connecting Pitapalli and Baranga is serving as a ring
road. Requirement of a ring road is necessary since Bhubaneswar is
expanding towards southern direction.
People residing
beyond Khandagiri area depend on busy national highway passing through
the city to touch Puri-Cuttack road and other localities in northern
sector.
Besides, arterial roads inside the city have
become crowded during past couple of years. A wide road connecting Biju
Patnaik airport and Nandankanan was developed a couple of years ago and
it is being considered that the road ease pressure on traffic. However,
the road itself became packed during peak hours.
Cause for congestion
High share of personal vehicles in Bhubaneswar is stated to be the reason for congestion on roads.
According
to New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, traffic data for
different intersections and road mid blocks in Bhubaneswar showed that
almost all roads have been dominated by the personal vehicles from 45 to
90 per cent of the traffic volume. The proposed master plan road is
also likely to have facility to assimilate requirements for Bus Rapid
Transit System.
Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar Development Authority has requested the Works Department to take up all proposed master plan roads.