Odisha is set to receive a major infrastructure boost with the 110-km six-lane Greenfield Capital Region Ring Road project, also known as the Bhubaneswar Bypass.

Estimated to cost around Rs 8,300 crore, the highway will serve as a crucial arterial route connecting the cities of Khurda, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack, significantly reducing congestion on the existing NH-16 stretch. The access-controlled expressway will begin at Rameshwar in Khurda and terminate at Tangi near Cuttack, bypassing the congested 86-km section of NH-16.

Once completed, it is expected to cut travel time from the current two hours to approx. 80 minutes. Designed for speeds of up to 100 kmph, the highway is seen as vital for accommodating increasing traffic volumes and supporting urban expansion in the region.

The proposal has been approved by an inter-ministerial panel and awaits clearance from Union cabinet. To be executed under hybrid annuity model (HAM), it will include six interchanges, four elevated corridors, five major and 44 minor bridges, three rail overbridges, and 17 vehicle underpasses. Odisha government will bear 50% of the Rs 1,029 crore land acquisition cost.