Gadkari sanctions Rs 374.17 crore for NH projects in Odisha's Sambalpur

Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari has sanctioned Rs 374.17 crore for National Highway (NH) projects in Odisha’s Sambalpur district. In a post on X post, Gadkari said an allocation of Rs 374.17 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of a 3.5 km long 6-lane flyover at Ainthapali junction and a two-lane road over bridge (Limited Height Subway) on NH-53 (formerly NH-6) in Sambalpur district.

He said that the proposed six-lane flyover aims to alleviate heavy traffic congestion at Ainthapali Chowk. Additionally, the project incorporates the construction of a two-lane ROB, previously excluded from the Teleibani-Sambalpur four-lanning project on NH-53, the Union minister said.

A significant portion of NH-53, approximately 12 km, runs through Sambalpur city. However, the commuters witness traffic congestion in Ainthapali on the NH-53 as the Sambalpur-Rourkela Biju Expressway and another road, which leads to the airstrip at Jamadarpali, meet the highway at two separate crossroads in Ainthapali.