Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari to approve six-laning of the Sambalpur-Cuttack stretch of NH-55, along with four underpasses and a flyover near Sambalpur City railway station in western Odisha.
In a letter to Gadkari, Pradhan sought the ministry’s intervention to improve connectivity, reduce congestion and strengthen road safety across the Sambalpur parliamentary constituency and adjoining areas. The requests come as passenger traffic, freight movement and industry-related transport increase along the Sambalpur-Angul-Cuttack corridor.
Pradhan said the existing four-lane highway should be upgraded to six lanes to address rising traffic volumes. He also proposed two-lane service roads on both sides of the highway, arguing that they would enable smoother local movement and help reduce the risk of accidents caused by traffic mixing on the main carriageway.
The Sambalpur-Angul section has seen heavy movement of mineral-laden and commercial vehicles, according to the letter. Pradhan raised concerns about the safety of residents and pedestrians living or travelling alongside the highway and sought immediate administrative and financial approval for four underpasses proposed by the National Highways Authority of India’s Project Implementation Unit in Sambalpur.
The proposed underpasses are located at Jindal Road, Jarapada, Jerang and Charmal. Their stated purpose is to provide safer crossings and reduce conflicts between local movement and highway traffic. The request places the crossings within the wider capacity and safety requirements of a corridor linking western Odisha with the state’s industrial, commercial and urban centres.
Pradhan also drew attention to NH-53 near Sambalpur City railway station, where large numbers of railway passengers cross the highway each day. He said congestion at the junction had contributed to its identification as a potential accident black spot and sought early approval and execution of a flyover at the railway station square.
The MP said prioritising the proposed projects would improve links between eastern and western Odisha and support industrial and economic activity in the region. The proposals now require consideration by the Union road transport and highways ministry and the National Highways Authority of India. No approval, funding decision or construction timeline had been announced in the report.
