Raipur–Vizag corridor nears completion, to cut travel time by 6-7 hrs

Raipur: A drive down the eastern seaboard could soon become a near half-day affair, as the under-construction Raipur–Visakhapatnam economic corridor is projected to cut travel time almost by half—from around 12 hours to 6–7 hours—once the 464-km, six-lane, access-controlled highway is commissioned, officials said.Among the key ‘firsts' for Chhattisgarh's highway network, the tunnel is being projected as the signature feature of what officials describe as the state's first six-lane ‘eco-corridor' on a stretch spanning 464-kms.Conceived as a high-speed logistics spine linking central India to Visakhapatnam port, the corridor is also being pitched as a rare example of big-ticket road building that tries to ‘build fast' without tearing through fragile habitats.NHAI officials said the project, with a stated investment of ₹16,491 crore, includes an eco-sensitive 2.79-km twin-tube tunnel aligned beneath the Udanti–Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, aimed at ensuring that the tiger corridor remains undisturbed while the highway slices through difficult hilly terrain. In Chhattisgarh, the corridor runs for about 125 km, being developed across three packages between Jhanki and Marangpuri at an estimated cost of ₹4,146 crore. NHAI officials said the overall project has crossed the 70% construction mark, and the corridor—designed for speeds of up to 100 kmph—is targeted for completion over the next two years.Officials said what sets the alignment apart is the scale of wildlife-mitigation structures built into the highway design. The plans include 28 monkey canopies in the Udanti–Sitanadi landscape where primate movement is frequent, eight overbridges for elephant passage in the Dhamtari corridor, and 19 animal pass-ways intended for species such as tigers and bears. Additional safety infrastructure includes animal underpasses and overpasses, fencing at critical locations, camera-based monitoring systems, and traffic impact attenuators meant to reduce fatalities in the event of collisions.NHAI officials said the expected travel time reductions would translate into lower fuel use and emissions compared to current routes, alongside direct gains for freight movement. The corridor will ease the movement of minerals—particularly iron ore—towards the coast and improve connectivity for tribal and aspirational districts including Dhamtari, Kanker, Bastar, and Kondagaon, boosting access to markets and services for the population in lakhs.