The completion target of the 125-km National Highway (NH)-143 between Birmitrapur and Barkote in Sundargarh has further been extended by seven to 12 months. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has attributed the additional delay to time lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic among other reasons. The target for the entire project, estimated at Rs 1,142.31 crore, had earlier been revised from March 2020 to June 2021.
Work on the NH project had started in 2011 but was stalled mid-way. It picked up pace after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged to expedite work in 2015 and subsequently, Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had laid foundation of the new Brahmani bridge in July 2017.
NHAI sources informed nearly 70 per cent work has been completed for the most important first package which includes 59 km from Rourkela to Rajamunda at Rs 381.75 crore. This stretch includes the second new six-lane bridge over Brahmani river which is 70 per cent complete, while another bridge over Sankhi river near Vedvyas and a new Road Over Bridge (ROB) over railway track at TCI area have been completed and construction of a parallel ROB is underway.
The second package of 29 km from Birmitrapur to Rourkela at a cost of Rs 366.56 crore is 60 per cent complete so far. Due to protest by tribal villagers, the NHAI dropped the bypass plan at Talsara and in absence of land, it plans to convert the existing NH into two-lane for a stretch of five km from Birmitrapur. With acquisition of nearly 30 acre land in this package still due and the matter pending in Odisha High Court, work could not start over 500 meter stretch at Gopapali, Jamunanaki and Lungei.
The NHAI said as per court direction, compensation claims would be settled shortly. Incidentally, the third package, which extends for 37 km from Rajamunda to Barkote, remains a concern as only 25 per cent of it is complete due to financial issues. But NHAI, official sources said, has resolved those issues and resumed work. Expressing confidence of completing the project soon, NHAI Project Director Saurav Chaurasia said the first and second packages would be completed by January 2022 and the third package by June 2022.