Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said on Tuesday that the Odisha government has chosen to expand the planned metro rail line in Bhubaneswar in order to guarantee the project’s feasibility. The action is a component of the state’s endeavors to improve urban connectedness and increase commuter benefits from the metro project. With a projected expenditure of ₹6,225 crore, the former BJD administration had planned Phase-I of the metro project, which would span 26 kilometers from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar to Trisulia in Cuttack. To extend the road farther into Cuttack city and other places, the new administration is reexamining the idea.
Addressing the media, Minister Mahapatra clarified, “Our government is committed to executing the metro project. We are neither against it nor planning to scrap it. However, we want to ensure that the project is viable and serves a larger purpose.” He questioned the practicality of terminating the metro at Trisulia, asking, “What will someone do by going only up to Trisulia?”
The government has established an expert group to investigate and suggest a more realistic and effective path in order to allay these worries. The additional route will soon be included in a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), guaranteeing a more efficient metro connection between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The Minister also outlined plans to build an elevated corridor on Bhubaneswar’s congested Jayadev Vihar-Nandankanan Road. Vehicle traffic will be allowed on the lower level of the corridor, while metro train service will be allowed on the top level.
Work on the metro rail project started on November 20, 2023, with a target completion date of 2027, Mahapatra said in a written declaration to the State Assembly. The state government approved a further ₹1,000 crore for the current fiscal year, of which ₹393 crore has already been used, and allotted ₹210 crore for the project in 2023–2024. It is anticipated that the elevated corridor’s development and the metro route’s expansion would greatly enhance urban mobility, ease traffic, and offer smooth communication between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
