Naveen Patnaik urges Gadkari to complete four-laning of NH-203

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the Jagannath Temple on February 7, Odisha Chief Minister asked the Centre to complete the four-laning of Bhubaneswar-Puri section of National Highway 203 as early as possible. "I request your personal intervention so that the balance works are completed without any further delay," Patnaik wrote to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. Stating that the road was extremely important from the point view of tourism as it connects the state capital and Puri, Patnaik said balance work of Chandanpur Railway Over Bridge (ROB) and Puri bypass have not been resumed after the Rath Jatra causing traffic inconvenience and public discontentment.

The CM said the project was earlier envisaged for completion before the Nabakalebara festival of Lord Jagannath in July 2015. Toll collection on the partially completed road has been continuing since mid-October, 2015 with full administrative support from the state government, Patnaik mentioned in the letter.