By Nageshwar Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, December 12, 2025: Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar will soon get a facelift with the standing committee of the Odisha State Wildlife Board has granted wildlife clearing the Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR), a 110.87-km six-lane project that will link Rameswar in Khordha to Tangi in Cuttack district.

The committee, chaired by Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, recommended the project for approval under the Bharatmala scheme, enabling the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to initiate the next round of statutory permissions, as per reports by The New Indian Express.

The reports added that the proposal will now be placed before Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who heads the State Wildlife Board. Once the board grants approval, the project will be forwarded to the National Board of Wildlife for mandatory clearances.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has earlier approved the CRRR under the hybrid annuity model at an investment of Rs 8,307.74 crore.

The alignment will integrate NH-55, NH-57, NH-655 and NH-16 along with State Highway 65, creating seamless connectivity to economic, logistics and administrative nodes around Khordha, Cuttack and Dhenkanal.

Apart from the ring road, the standing committee also approved four separate proposals for the installation of mobile towers in villages without telecom coverage.

The detailed project report for the coastal corridor includes 36 major bridges, including a planned 3.3-km structure over the Mahanadi, along with 89 minor bridges, six viaducts, three rail overbridges and 45 underpasses.

The link is expected to shorten the Rameswar–Paradip distance from 210 km to 160.18 km and reduce travel time by nearly 45 percent.

With wildlife clearance from the standing committee now secured, the CRRR awaits State Wildlife Board approval, followed by clearance from the National Board of Wildlife. Forest diversion procedures under the Forest Conservation Act will form the final pre-construction stage.