Update on July 12 2011: As per a report in Business Standard:

The financial ministry approves the four laning of Angul-Sambalpur section of NH 42 in Orissa for Rs 1,220.32 crore and two/four laning of Birmitrapur to Barkote section in Orissa (Rs 778.15 crore). These are to be done via PPP.

Original part published on: June 19th. 2008, 11:55pm

Following is an excerpt from a report in New Indian Express.

The Lok Sabha petitions committee rapped the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the inordinate delay in four-laning of the National Highway No 42 from Angul to Sambalpur. As a number of steel industries and thermal power plants are coming up in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Angul and Dhenkanal districts, traffic on this route has increased manifold. The State Government has been demanding the NHAI for further widening of this route in view of movement of large number of heavy vehicles. The petitions committee chaired by Pabhunath Singh met at Delhi recently and sought to know from the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways about the delay in four-laning the road. The NHAI officials reportedly told the committee that the proposal of the State had been approved. After survey on traffic intensity on the route, the 107-km stretch between Manguli and Angul has been been identified for four-laning. The Ministry has made a budgetary provision of Rs 2.3 crore in the current year�s budget for feasibility study and preparation of detailed project report (DPR). Steps have been taken to engage a consultant for DPR preparation. … Dharmendra Pradhan, a member of the committee, reportedly suggested that the four-laning should be done up to Jarpada in view of the steel project coming up there. However, the Ministry officials said that there is no proposal for four-laning beyond Angul. On the development of 209-km-long NH-23 from Banarpal to Birmitrapur, the Ministry said that widening of 9- km road to two lane is in progress and the four-laning of Birmitrapur to Rajamunda depends of the traffic intensity. A consultant has been appointed for feasibility study.