MoF’s PPPAC approves ₹8,300-crore Rameshwar–Digha coastal highway stretch, including HAM packages, major bridges, land acquisition progress, and digital clearances
OdishaPlus Bureau
In a significant development for Odisha’s infrastructure expansion, the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) of the Ministry of Finance has cleared a major portion of the ambitious coastal highway project between Rameshwar and Digha. The approved segment, estimated at ₹8,300.79 crore, covers a substantial stretch of the 346-km greenfield corridor.
The 160.18-km Rameshwar–Paradip section will be taken up under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and executed in two packages. The first involves a four-lane access-controlled carriageway from Rameshwar to Kakatpur, while the second will see the construction of a two-lane highway with paved shoulders from Kakatpur to Paradip.
The approval follows a setback earlier this year when the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) cancelled tenders for this stretch due to last-minute alignment changes linked to revised traffic projections. The Kakatpur–Paradip portion, originally planned as a four-lane road, was subsequently scaled down to a two-lane configuration over its 80.78 km length.
Land acquisition is progressing across Khurda, Puri, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur districts. Of the 794.69 hectares required, authorities have already secured about 70% of the land for Package I and 30% for Package II. The project has received both environmental and CRZ clearances, and an online application has been submitted for Stage-I forest clearance.
The engineering scope of the project is extensive. It includes 36 major bridges—among them a 3.3-km bridge over the Mahanadi—along with 89 minor bridges, 376 culverts, and three flyovers. The plan also features six viaducts, three rail overbridges (ROBs), and 45 vehicle underpasses. Sources confirmed that the general arrangement drawings for all three ROBs have been approved.
Once completed, the coastal highway is expected to significantly improve connectivity, support disaster resilience, and stimulate economic activity along Odisha’s coastline.