Biju Expressway


Biju Expressway is a State Highway in the state of Odisha, with a total length of 650 km. It starts at Chandili and goes on to touch border towns/market centres such as Kotpad, Boriguma, Nabarangpur, Papadahandi, Ambapani, Godbhanja, Dharmagarh, Sinapalli, Bhella, Nuapada, Paikamal, Padampur, Sohela, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh before ending at Rourkela. The main expressway is between Vedvyas and Sambalpur. The Biju Expressway contains three toll gates. The first one is 6 km before Rajgangpur Bypass.The second tollgate is at Masunikani and the third gate is at Rengali. The maximum capable speed limit of L&T SRTL is 160 km/h between the 163 km stretch from Vedvyas to Rengali. The current Odisha Government has numbered this Expressway as National Highway 126B, Auxiliary highway of National [Highway 26 (India)|NH26] as it runs nearly parallel to NH26. Biju Expressway has the distinction of being the Subsidiary Highway longer than the Main National Highway. Main NH26 covers distance, Biju Expressway as NH126B runs for distance.

Important Landmarks

  • SH-10, Biju Expressway
  • Vedvyas
  • Kansbahal
  • Kutra
  • Tudalaga
  • Bargaon
  • Jarangloi
  • Karamdihi
  • Sundargarh
  • Kirei
  • Jharsuguda Bypass
  • Badmal
  • Rengali
  • Ainthapali Sambalpur
  • Bargarh
  • Sohela
  • SH-03 Biju Expressway
  • Padampur
  • Paikmal
  • Nuapada
The total cost of the project is around ₹3,630 crore. The project will be completed in phased manner, in the first phase of the project, a long four-lane road will be established by converting an existing road and a further 402 km will be converted into a two-lane road. In the second phase, 258 km of road will be converted into four lanes.
The first phase of the project was completed by December 2017, and the second phase was completed by the end of 2019. Since completion, it has reduce the travel time between the two cities from 12 hrs 45 mins to 9 hrs 45 mins hrs.
of the total length would be converted into the four lane standard while the National [Highways Authority of India] will further develop another 183 km. The 160 km road from Rourkela to Sambalpur will be converted into four lanes through Public Private Partnership.

Status updates

Status updates of the long under construction Biju Expressway. The road will connect Rourkela to Chandili via Sambalpur, Nuapada, out of which the long Rourkela-Sambalpur-Nuapada section will be 6 lanes wide and the remaining Nuapada-Chandili section will be 4 lanes wide.
  • June 2017: Road from Rourkela to Sambalpur to be completed by December 2017. All sections to be completed by June 2019.
  • March 2018: The long four-lane expressway from Vedvyas to Sambalpur was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
  • March 2019: 70% of the total work completed.