Spadework for renovation of NH-143 finally begins

June 21, 2013

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By Express News Service – ROURKELA

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has finally started the spadework for widening NH-143 (earlier NH-23) stretch from Birmitrapur to Barkote passing through Sundargarh and Deogarh districts.

NHAI sources said of the total 125.615 km of the NH, the stretch of around 88 km between Birmitrapur and Rajamunda would be converted into four-lane while the rest stretch till Barkote would be two-lane with ‘paved shoulders’.

The NHAI under the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV has allocated `778.60 crore for the project. It would be executed by the Birmitrapur-Barkote Tollway Ltd (BBTL) which has been appointed by principal construction firm Gammon Infrastructure Project Ltd on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis. The BBTL submitted a design to the NHAI a couple of days back.

The project includes a new Brahmani bridge at Panposh to replace the existing rickety one. Manager (Technical), NHAI, Madan Mohan Sahu said the bridge will be located between the existing bridge and the railway-over-bridge at Panposh to minimise displacement. There would be bypasses at Birmitrapur, Kuanrmunda and Lathikata while at Rajamunda there would be a rotary. Once they get the land and forest clearance, the project could be completed in 30 months, Sahu said.

Following a review meeting, Sundargarh Collector Roopa Roshan Sahoo appointed Rourkela ADM RN Mishra as the authority to acquire land. The Collector said all technical issues are being sorted out on priority basis.

The ADM informed that the notification for the bridge area under the provision of the NHAI Act has been done and the required notification for rest areas would be done by June 16.

Counting of trees between Rourkela and Rajamunda to be felled for the highway project has been completed and the process towards Birmitrapur is pending.

Administrative sources apprehend that acquisition of forest land may delay the project as the Highway passes through several reserve forests under the Rourkela and Bonai forest divisions in the district. Rajgangpur MLA Gregory Minz who raised the issue several times insisted on timely completion of the project.

Source-http://newindianexpress.com/