Cuttack: The state government has asked Rites to prepare a detailed project report for the proposed modern bus terminus at Gopalpur near NH-16. The project is a part of the bus terminal expansion plan in Cuttack.

Rites (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) is a government of India enterprise under the aegis of the Indian Railways. The agency is expected to submit the report within one-and-a-half month.

The new bus terminus has been planned to provide adequate parking space for vehicles and passenger facilities and also to reduce traffic congestion on the city's two-km stretch of Link Road connecting Badambadi bus stand with NH-16 at Madhupatna.

The traffic management committee for the city had earlier identified a vacant government land at Gopalpur. Around 42.64 acres was allotted at Gopalpur in September 2015 for the purpose. But the project has not made much headway ever since.

For a beginning, a foundation stone was laid on Monday for construction of the boundary wall around the land allocated for the proposed bus terminus.

Transport minister Nrushingha Charan Sahu, who laid the foundation stone, said boundary wall would be constructed on around 35 acres within six months by spending about Rs 1.48 lakh.

Sahu said the state government planned to spend around Rs 860 crores for the bus terminus at Gopalpur with multi-storey bus ramps and state-of-the-art passenger facilities, such as yatri niwas, cafeteria, toilets and so on.

Assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P.K. Dalai said construction of the bus terminus at Gopalpur was very essential as lack of space for buses coming from various parts of the state and outside at the Badambadi bus stand was causing severe traffic congestion in the adjoining areas.