Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha Government has agreed to the ₹8,000-crore coastal highway project that would connect Odisha’s Tangi with West Bengal’s Digha. The approval was made six years after the proposal was mooted.
According to the reports, if things go as per the plan then the first tender for laying a portion of the road could be invited by March next. Ram Prasad Panda, Chief General Manager of the National Highway Authority of India, Bhubaneswar said “The State government has given consent for the coastal highway after much deliberation. We will go for different regulatory approvals required for the project as the proposed road will pass in the vicinity of various forests and Bay of Bengal and over rivers.”
The project was modified following the reservations of environmentalists over a long bridge proposed over Chilika Lake. The crucial road project would originate from Tangi in Khordha district instead of Gopalpur in Ganjam district. As per road design, all major towns would be bypassed.
