Bhubaneswar: The Centre's proposed 450km Digha-Gopalpur coastal highway project moved ahead with the National Highways Authority of India and the Odisha government discussing about its draft alignment.

"The Centre is keen on the proposed project to be covered under the Bharat Mala programme. It will be a new economic corridor. We think construction of major portions of the project will be completed within two-and-a-half years," said member of the National Highways Authority of India Anand Kumar Singh, after holding discussions with the Odisha government officials.

The authority is preparing a detailed project report of the coastal highway that will pass through Satpada, Konark, Astarang, Paradip, Ratanpur, Dhamra, Chandipur to reach Digha. Of the 450km proposed highway, 6.5km road will be in Bengal. While the Centre will fund the project, the Odisha government will provide the required land.

More than 178 villages will be connected by this highway. There will be bridges over the Palur Sahib canal and the Chilka lake besides several rivers, including the Rushikulya, Khushabhadra, Devi, Hansua, Mahanadi, Gobari, Brahmani, Baitarani and the Subarnarekha.

Preliminary survey has been conducted and a feasibility proposal has been prepared. The project will be given a final shape after finalisation of the alignment.

Odisha chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, who presided over the meeting, said: "We discussed about alignments of the proposed highway in detail and conveyed our concerns to the highways authority. Our concerns will be placed before the board and then the alignments will be finalised."

Sources said issues related to the Puri-Konark marine drive road, alignment at the proposed Astarang port, Jambu forest area, Bhitarkanika reserve forest, proposed ports and bridge over the Chilika were discussed.

Padhi said the concerned district collectors and other official expressed their concerns over the impact on the sensitive eco-systems such as the Chilika lake, Konark-Astarang and other coastal stretches. "They have assured us that the alignment will be finalised keeping our concerns in view," he said.