Odisha Economic Corridor

The first phase of Odisha's proposed metro rail project will cover a distance of around 26 km and have 20 stations, according to the DPR submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had sanctioned the project on April 1, 2023. The first phase will connect Bhubaneswar airport to Trishulia in Cuttack. The DMRC submitted the detailed project report (DPR) to Chief Secretary P K Jena on Wednesday, officials said. The DPR was completed after conducting traffic survey, geo-technical investigation, topographic survey, environmental and social impact assessments, they said. The project will be later extended to Khurda, Puri and other areas of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack city, the officials said.

The Odisha Economic Corridor would need a total investment of Rs 123 trillion. Transportation and logistics component of the proposed infrastructure development would account for 70n per cent of this total envisaged investment. The balance 30 per cent of the investments are to be sunk into energy and urban sectors, says a study by Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Odisha Economic Corridor is the third and final phase of the country's first coastal economic corridor.The proposed investments are based on projects that have already been identified by the Odisha government. Many road sector projects are close to procurement and construction. The remaining projects would need to be executed in a phased manner. The high-value items include the coastal highway, Biju Expressway, Ranchi-Vijaywada Road, Talcher-Kharagpur Rail Link, government housing Project in Bhubaneswar, and Dhamra-Bokaro LNG Pipeline. Other key projects include the DFC projects, which are proposed to traverse the corridor. .