The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved construction of a new coastal highway from Rameshwar to Paradeep on the Hybrid Annuity Model in Odisha. The project was approved in two packages with a combined length of 160.18 km and a combined total capital cost of Rs83,007.9 million (mn). The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways indicated the scheme will follow a concession period that includes construction and operation phases. The corridor passes through the districts of Khurda, Puri, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur and links existing national highways that serve Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack. Officials noted that the existing geometry along the Puri–Satapada and Puri–Konark stretches is poor, with nearly 40 per cent ribbon development and high levels of roadside local commuter traffic, which constrains smooth long?distance movement. The projects envisage a four?lane configuration from Rameshwar to Konark and a two?lane road with paved shoulder from Konark to Paradeep, designed for a speed of 100 km/hour. The scheme aligns with PM GatiShakti principles and will connect nine Economic Nodes and five Logistic Nodes, improving regional mobility and supporting socio?economic development in the State. Upon completion, travel time between Rameshwar and Paradeep is expected to reduce by about two hours and 30 minutes, while providing safer, faster and uninterrupted connectivity for passenger and freight traffic. The authority projects substantial reductions in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of improved alignment and higher operational speeds. Package one comprises 79.40 km with greenfield length of 76.84 km and a total capital cost of Rs53,048.0 million (mn), while package two comprises 80.78 km with a total capital cost of Rs29,959.9 million (mn). The concessions are to run for 17.5 years including construction and operations, and estimated annual average daily traffic for FY 2027?28 is 10,437 PCU for package one and 7,249 PCU for package two. Employment potential is estimated at 5.361 mn man?days direct and 6.701 mn man?days indirect.