The Odisha government has decided to add two service lanes on both sides of the four-lane Bhubaneswar-Puri stretch of National Highway-316 for smooth movement of traffic to the coastal town. In a meeting, Odisha Works Department Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh on Wednesday emphasised the importance of coordination of various departments towards implementing the plan.

Officials stated that service roads will be constructed on both sides of the 67-km stretch of the National Highway, while a six-lane elevated corridor will be built on the 11-km stretch from Saptsati Square to Lingipur Square. This initiative is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities and alleviate traffic congestion in Bhubaneswar.

The meeting also focused on the construction of special utility corridors for electricity, telephone, internet, water, and gas services, as both Puri and Bhubaneswar frequently face cyclones. Works Department Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan mentioned that an eight-lane service road with four lanes on each side will be constructed along NH-16 from Palasuni to Tamando in Bhubaneswar city, which will significantly enhance traffic flow in the capital region.

The Works department has instructed officials to collaborate across departments and expedite the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to initiate the tendering process. To systematically address major traffic bottlenecks within Bhubaneswar, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Prithiviraj Harichandan had also finalized a multi-lane expansion on NH-16.