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The Rameshwar-Paradeep Coastal Highway will be developed in two packages. The first package covers 79.4 km between Rameshwar and Konark and will be a four-lane access-controlled highway. The second package will cover 80.7 km between Konark and Paradeep and will be a two-lane highway with paved shoulders.

The project has been approved with a combined total capital cost of Rs 8,300.79 crore. It will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).

According to the project details, the highway will have a design speed of 100 kmph. It is expected to provide faster and more direct connectivity to major tourist destinations, including the Jagannath Temple, Puri Beach and Konark Sun Temple.

The new highway will also serve as an alternative route to NH-16 and NH-316. It will improve connectivity to Puri, Konark and Paradeep Port, as well as the upcoming Puri International Airport. The corridor will also facilitate connectivity to developing ports such as Astarang and Subarnarekha.

The highway will connect several districts of Odisha, including Khurda, Puri, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur.

The project is also aimed at addressing traffic-related issues on existing routes. NH-16 passes through major urban areas such as Khurda, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, while NH-316 connects Bhubaneswar with Puri and extends towards Satapada and Konark.

According to NHAI, sections of the existing Puri-Satpada and Puri-Konark routes have nearly 40 per cent ribbon development and carry significant local traffic. This makes them less suitable for high-speed, long-distance traffic.

The new access-controlled corridor is expected to improve the movement of long-distance traffic while reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions and vehicle operating costs. It is also expected to help lower logistics costs and support economic activity in the region.

The project has received strong interest from bidders. NHAI received 10 bids for the Rameshwar-Konark package and seven bids for the Konark-Paradeep package. During construction, the project is expected to generate around 53.6 lakh direct man-days and 67 lakh indirect man-days of employment.