The Sambalpur-Rourkela State Highway (SH-10). Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 5: The state highway No. 10, which connects the industrial belts of Sambalpur and Rourkela via Jharsuguda, is all set to be widened.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting presided over by chief minister Naveen Patnaik here earlier this week.

The four-laning of this 165-kilometre road will ensure better communication between these two industrial areas, which are also affected by Maoist insurgency. Besides, the road expansion will also prove beneficial for various small and big industries and mines located on either side of the state highway.

The road is the lifeline for both the residents and the industrial units of Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Rourkela. It is also a connector to NH-23 in the north and NH-6 in the south.

The two-lane state highway has been in a bad shape mainly because of movement of heavy vehicles coming from the mines of Sundergarh and Jharsuguda. It was constructed by Larsen & Toubro Infrastructure Development Project Limited with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank in 1997.

The poor condition of the road was also proving to be a hindrance to the security forces in their free movement in the adjoining areas to intensify operation against the Maoists.

“Expansion of this important state highway will help in easier and faster mobilisation of security forces. This would, in turn, help to check Maoist activties,” said a senior government official.

The road expansion project will be taken up in public-private partnership mode. The Larsen & Toubro Infrastructure Development Project Limited will undertake the expansion work.

An official in the state public works department said the project cost had been estimated at Rs 1,292 crore. The viability gap fund (a grant to make such projects commercially viable) for this project has been pegged at Rs 465.30 crore, which will be shared by both the state and the Centre. The state government will pay Rs 206.79 crore, while the Centre will pay Rs 258.51 crore.

The state government will bear the cost of pre-construction activities such as land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation, shifting of utilities and forest and environment mitigation measures at an estimated cost of Rs 274 crore. The Larsen & Toubro Infrastructure Development Project Limited has been granted a 22-year concession period, including three years for the road expansion work.