Cuttack: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday dedicated a bridge connecting Cuttack city with Nuapatna near Choudwar.

The bridge was named after Madhusudan Das, considered the architect of modern Odisha.

The 2.53km bridge runs across the Mahanadi Chahata on the ring road to the north of Cuttack city up to Nuapatana (NH-55) close to Choudwar.

Naveen said his government had given priority to infrastructure development. He said: "In the past 17 years, 318 major bridges have been built in the state, 108 of them in the last three years. Seven bridges have been built over the Mahanadi alone and five more are under construction."

The chief minister said 26,000km roads had been constructed in 2016-17, while the Rourkela-Sambalpur portion of Biju Expressway was inaugurated recently.

Work secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan said: "Constructed at a cost of Rs 147.47 crore, the bridge was scheduled to be completed by April 25, 2018. But it was completed one month ahead of time."

"The bridge has been constructed with assistance of National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development. It has a 14.8m-wide carriageway with pavement on both sides. It has dividers and railings," Pradhan said.

Barabati Cuttack MLA Debashis Samantaray said: "The bridge has opened a direct link from Khurda via Pithapali to Dhenkanal through Cuttack."

Dhabaleswar temple priest Binayak Patri said: "Devotees will no more have to cross the river in boats from Chahata in Cuttack. The bridge will also reduce travel time to Cuttack considerably."