Cuttack: The public works department (PWD)'s Rs 2.17 crore four-lane project for expansion of road from Cantonment Road to Biju Patnaik Chakh is complete after a delay of nearly 15 months.

"The existing roads under the project have been expanded to maintain 7.5-metre width on both sides of the median," an official of the road and building department said.

The project was undertaken on a nearly 2km stretch from Cantonment Road near Barabati Stadium to Biju Patnaik Chhak in January 2017.

It was targeted to be completed by May that same year.

But the work remained suspended for months because existing power transmission poles came in the way.

The work could resume only after the Cuttack division of the Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu) agreed to relocate the 20-odd electric poles in November.

The road construction and expansion work was complete by December last year except for the 50 metres with the electric poles.

Further construction of the new road to connect it with Biju Patnaik Chhak was not possible owing to a portion of eastern and the entire southern boundary wall of the Cesu circle office. Work remained suspended again for months due to delay in demolition of the boundary wall.

"Road construction and expansion work resumed and the last leg of the four-lane project could be completed only after the entire southern boundary wall was demolished and re-constructed around 12ft north," the official said, adding that the entire process was delayed because the Cesu circle office took time to agree to free the land.

"In fact, it agreed only after an understanding was reached that the road and building department's Cuttack division would demolish the existing boundary wall and build it on the new location and also rebuild all the structures within that area that need to be demolished or relocated at its expense," said the official who did not want to be named.