Tamluk, Feb. 19: The Bengal government has started constructing a 20km seafront driveway between Digha and Mandarmani that will reduce the distance between the two beach resorts by almost half.

The driveway, being built on the lines of Mumbai's Marine Drive, will enable tourists to have a clear view of the sea all along the stretch. It will also bring down the distance between Digha and Mandarmani from 46km to 20km.

Officials of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority, which is implementing the project, said the driveway was expected to be completed by this year.

Sujan Dutta, the executive officer of DSDA, said: "We have started work on the 20km driveway connecting Digha with Mandarmani. It will run parallel to the beach and take much less time to reach Shankarpur, Tajpur and Mandarmani."

Dutta pegged the project at Rs 36 crore.

The officials said two bridges would have to be built across two canals - Champa and Sapua - to construct the road.

According to the DSDA officials, vehicles ferrying only tourists will be allowed to use the driveway.

"For the time being, it will be a single-lane road with a width of 5.25 metres. Later, we have plans to widen it into a double-lane road," an official said.

The DSDA official said the driveway would later be extended up to the Peuaghat fishing harbour, 19km from Mandarmani.

DSDA chairman and Trinamul MP Sisir Adhikari said the development of the sea beach between Digha and Mandarmani was part of the chief minister's dream beautification project.

"Our chief minister wants to develop Digha and nearby places on the lines of Goa. After the driveway is ready, it will attract more tourists," Sisir Adhikari said.

The additional district magistrate in charge of tourism, Prasanta Adhikari, said: "Beach resorts like Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur and Mandarmani are well-known to tourists across Bengal. Earlier, there was no road running parallel to the beach. This driveway will provide the tourists a great experience and also reduce the distance between Digha and Mandarmani."

The new road will also help the tourists reach the 30-odd homestays the government is planning to start soon.

The administration has planned to develop around 100 homestays along the stretch between Mandarmani and Digha.