Centre Approves ₹3,300 Crore for Railway Bridge Projects in Srikakulam.

Commuters in Srikakulam district are set to benefit from improved road-rail connectivity as the central government has sanctioned ₹3,300 crore for the construction of 54 bridges at railway level crossing gates, aimed at easing traffic congestion and enhancing safety.

The initiative is being described as a major infrastructure push, with multiple bridge and flyover projects taken up to eliminate delays and risks associated with railway level crossings—points where roads intersect railway tracks and vehicular movement is halted when trains pass. Officials said the entire set of projects is expected to be completed within two years.

Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for a flyover at Neelavathi village in the Palasa region, marking the formal commencement of works under the programme.

In addition to the bridge construction plan, railway authorities are also progressing with a third railway line project and introducing measures to support high-speed train operations, which are expected to improve both passenger and freight movement in the region.

The development comes after the Railway Board reorganised administrative control in the region, shifting the Palasa–Icchapuram stretch from the East Coast Railway jurisdiction to the newly formed South Coast Railway Zone. Following this, efforts have been accelerated to remove level crossing gates in the Khurda and Waltair divisions by constructing flyovers and underpasses.

Detailed project reports have already been prepared for both divisions, and railway authorities have approved the execution of the works. In the first phase, 17 flyovers—including at Talabhadra, Neelavathi, Baaligaon, Palasa, and Karapadu—will be taken up, followed by the remaining projects in subsequent phases.