File picture of road expansion work in Janpath in Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar, May 6: The capital can soon expect to have a wide thoroughfare between Vani Vihar and Sishu Bhavan, as work has just begun on eight-laning of the road between Master Canteen and Rajmahal Square.

The eight-laning of the 750-metre stretch of the road between Master Canteen and Rajmahal Square, which has begun four days ago, will cost the state public works department Rs 5 crore.

According to the project plans, there will be a median with two four-lane roads on both sides. There will also be wide drains and footpaths on the roadsides. The work is expected be completed within two years.

Executive engineer of Division I of the public works department Manoranjan Tripathy said: “The road structure will be just like the present one between Sishu Bhavan and Rajmahal Square. However, we will take extra care to minimise loss of green cover along the stretch. As a matter of fact, the entire Vani Vihar–Sishu Bhavan region has lost more than 650 trees, but in this 750-metre stretch, there might be less than 150 plants. However, we are planning to manage the construction with the minimal loss to the green cover.’’

In another development, the PWD authorities have already requested the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to remove all hoardings along the stretch to facilitate progress of construction work.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said the BMC authorities had already started dismantling the hoardings to facilitate road expansion work along Master Canteen-Rajmahal Square. “Dismantling of hoardings will be over soon so that the engineers can execute their construction works easily,’’ he added.

PWD officials also added that after completion of construction work, the BMC authorities would take up the arrangement for lighting on the stretch of the road.

The eight-laning work from Vani Vihar to Sishu Bhavan, which is divided in three parts, is being executed by three different divisions of the public works department. However, while the execution of the work on the Vani Vihar-Master Canteen stretch is being delayed because of a court case over demolition of a religious structure, construction work on the Sishu Bhavan-Rajmahal Square stretch was delayed because of problems related to eviction of vending zones.

The construction work of the flyover on Rajmahal Square has already been delayed from the schedule by three months. A resident of the Rajmahal area, Bibhu Mohapatra, said: “The road expansion and renovation plans should be executed on time so that the commuters do not suffer much. We are already suffering because of the delay in the construction of the flyover. Once the construction of the eight-laning stretch between Rajmahal Square and Master Canteen goes on full swing, commutation along the stretch will be heavily disrupted.’’