Traffic jam on the highway between Cuttack and Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Angul, Nov. 25: The widening works of the National Highway 55 between Manguli Chhack in Cuttack and Sambalpur will commence from December next year.

In a letter to Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany, Union minister of state for road transport and highways R.P.N Singh said that the government had already approved the proposal to widen the national highway.

The NH would be widened to two lane with paved shoulder. The provision to augment its capacity to four lanes will be done.

A report for widening of 261km stretch between Cuttack and Sambalpur was awarded in March and report was expected to be completed by December, 2011.

The letter revealed there are 21,000 to 30,000 vehicles plying between Manguli to Angul everyday. Between Angul and Sambalpur, the number of vehicles plying on a daily basis ranged between 15,700 and 16,600.

On the bidding process, the minister said that the process will start by January next. The work was expected to start by December, 2011.

“Earlier one took nearly two hours from Talcher or Angul to reach Cuttack by car. But due to heavy traffic, it takes more than four hours now,” said K. Patra, a regular traveller.

Though the width of the road remains the same the traffic has risen by five fold during the last three years. This is because of steel and power industries coming up in Angul and Dhenkanal districts.

The state national highway executive engineer of Dhenkanal Pramoda Nayak said: “It is high time that government should take up the widening work to manage the growing traffic.”

According to statistics, during the first six months of 2010 there were 180 accidents between the stretch from Manguli to Sambalapur.

“Notwithstanding by the widening decision I demand the NHs, which connect coastal Orissa to the western part, should be converted into four or six lanes immediately or traffic on the route will be in disastrous stage,” Rudra Naryan Pany told The Telegraph.

Angul, Nov. 25: The much awaited widening works of the heavily congested National Highway no 55 between Manguli Chhack in Cuttack and Sambalpur will commence from December next year.

In a letter to Rajya Sabha Member Rudra Narayan Pani, Union minister of state for road transport and highways R.P.N Singh said that the government had already approved the proposal to widen the national highway.

The national highway will be widened to two lane with paved shoulder and the provision to augment its capacity to 4 lanes will be done. The Minister said that consultancy services for preparation of draft feasibility report for widening of entire 261 km stretch between Cuttack and Sambalpur was awarded in March last and report was expected to be completed by December 2011.

The letter also revealed that as per the DPR of the consultant, there are 21,000 to 30, 000 vehicles ply between Manguli to Angul everyday. And between Angul and Sambalpur, the number of vehicles plying on a daily basis ranged between 15700 and 16600.

ON the bidding process, the minister said that the process will start by January next. The work was expected to start by December 2011, the Minister said.

“Earlier one took nearly two hours by car from Talcher or Angul to reach Cuttack. But due to heavy traffic, it takes more than four hours to cover this stretch,: said K Patra, a regular traveler.

The stretch witnesses long queus every day due to congestion. Though the width of the road remains the same the traffic has risen by five fold during the last three years. This is mainly because several steel and power industries are coming up in Angul and Dhenkanal districts.

According to statistics available with the officials, in the first six months of 2010 there were as many as 180 accidents between the stretch from Manguli and sambalapur . There were 79 deaths and 124 were seriously injured and another 113 minor injured.

The National Highway Authority of India, Orissa branch project director Chandra kanta said that the proposal for road widening was well in progress,. The state national highway executive engineer of Dhenkanal Pramoda Nayak said “It is high time that government should take up the widening work to manage the growing traffic.

“Notwithstanding by the widening decision I still demand this crucial national highway which connects coastal Orissa to western part should be converted into four or six laned immediately or other wise traffic on the route will be in disastrous stage” Rudra Naryan pany told “The Telegraph”.