Bihar Starts Huge Road Plan for Better Connections Bihar unveils a massive plan today, launching numerous new road projects that promise to greatly improve travel and connectivity across the state. This big push aims to make daily life better for millions by linking up more towns and villages, cutting down travel times. making it easier for goods to move. The government’s bold step is set to unlock new chances for people and businesses, bringing fresh energy and growth to every corner of Bihar.
Expanding Road Network Across Bihar
Bihar is making large steps in improving its road system, with many new projects aiming to connect more areas and make travel easier for everyone. The state government has put a lot of focus on building and upgrading roads, showing a clear plan to boost connections across the state. This effort includes both big highways and smaller village roads, all designed to help people and goods move more smoothly. These projects are expected to change how people live and work, by making it simpler to get to vital places and new markets.
Improving Village Roads
The state government has announced a major plan to build and improve thousands of kilometers of roads in villages. Under the Mukhyamantri Gramien Sadak Unnayan Yojana (MMGSUY), a decision was made to build 2944 kilometers of rural roads. This project has already received official approval. building work will start soon. So far, 445 roads, stretching over 2148 kilometers, have been built under this plan.
Beyond this, there is a bigger goal to build or upgrade 10,000 kilometers of rural roads and add another 5,000 kilometers of new roads in villages where people have recently settled. This is planned to happen before the 2025 state elections. These road projects are seen as a way to improve daily life in rural areas, making development more equal for everyone.
The New Development Bank (NDB) is also helping Bihar with its rural road plans. It is providing support to build 4,000 kilometers of rural roads spread across 26 districts in the state. The total cost for this project is about $500 million, with NDB providing $350 million and the Bihar government covering the rest. These roads are chosen based on the number of people who will benefit, the amount of traffic. how well they connect to bigger roads and essential centers.
A big effort has also been launched by the Rural Works Department to fix potholes on all rural roads. They aim to make all rural roads free of potholes within the next three months, for which a sum of ₹20,626 crore has been set aside.
Big Projects in Patna City
Patna, the state capital, is seeing many large road projects that aim to make traffic flow better. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently started six major road projects in western Patna, with a total cost of ₹766. 73 crore. These projects were announced during his recent ‘Pragati Yatra’ and are meant to reduce traffic problems in the area.
Key projects include:
- Widening and strengthening a 10. 5 kilometer stretch from AIIMS Golambar to Janipur-Panapur Nav, costing ₹138. 5 crore.
- Building a 1. 015 kilometer flyover at Naubatpur Lakh on the Naubatpur-Masaurhi road, costing ₹73. 06 crore. This flyover is expected to reduce traffic jams.
- Widening the 6. 9 kilometer Khagaul Nehru Path from Ashok Rajpath to Rupaspur Canal Path to four lanes, costing ₹71. 48 crore. This will improve access to Patliputra railway station.
- A connectivity link between Digha–AIIMS Patali Path and Nehru Path towards Danapur, costing ₹143. 86 crore.
The state Cabinet has also given its approval for road projects in Patna district worth ₹375. 73 crore. These projects are expected to ease traffic and boost connections. One of these crucial projects is building a cable suspension bridge over the Punpun river at the Punpun Pinddan site, which will look like Rishikesh’s Laxman Jhula. This bridge will cost ₹82. 99 crore. Another major project, costing ₹292. 74 crore, will connect the Chiraiyatand flyover to the Mithapur flyover, one of Patna’s busiest roads.
The Ganga Path, a significant road project along the Ganga river, is expected to be finished by January 2025. Also, the Ashok Rajpath Double-Decker Flyover in Patna is expected to be ready by March 2025. An elevated road from Anisabad to AIIMS in Patna is also planned, with an estimated cost of ₹1,000 crore.
Across the State: Highways and Bridges
Bihar’s road network has seen many improvements. Over 100 projects, costing ₹11,500 crore, have been completed in the past year. The government plans to upgrade all single-lane state highways to two-lane roads. A new bridge maintenance policy is also being put in place to ensure that bridges are checked and fixed on time.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced a large investment of ₹37,000 crore for road infrastructure in Bihar. This includes six major road projects worth ₹3,700 crore. These projects are meant to reduce traffic in cities like Patna, Gaya. Jehanabad. improve links with neighboring states.
Some of the projects include:
- The Bakhtiyarpur-Rajauli four-lane highway.
- Railway overbridges (ROBs) in Nawada.
- Road widening in Jehanabad and Gaya.
- Expansion of the Mokama-Munger road, costing ₹5,100 crore.
- A new bridge over the Gandak river in West Champaran, costing ₹2,500 crore.
The Bihar Cabinet has also approved nine new projects from the Road Construction Department. These include the “Bihar State Bridge Management and Maintenance Policy–2025,” three railway overbridges. widening of Gaya’s Sujata Bypass. The Sujata Bypass in Gaya is essential for connecting the religious places of Gaya and Bodh Gaya and will be widened and strengthened at a cost of ₹37. 83 crore.
In Banka, ₹38. 47 crore has been approved for keeping the Sultanganj–Duma Kanwaria Path in good condition for five years, starting in 2025. Also, the Jamui–Lakhisarai main road (SH-18) will be widened at a cost of ₹37. 63 crore.
The Road Construction Department has set a goal to build 5400 kilometers of roads within one year, with the surface layer of these new roads planned to be finished by March 2026. This plan also involves repairing 13,452 roads (23,541 kilometers), building 7518 kilometers of roads that are already in progress. building 700 new bridges with an investment of ₹3,000 crore.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
The total length of roads in Bihar has almost doubled in the last twenty years, from 14,468 kilometers in 2005 to over 26,000 kilometers by 2025. National highways have grown from 3,629 kilometers to over 6,147 kilometers. State highways have expanded from 2,382 kilometers to 3,638 kilometers. major district roads have nearly doubled in length from 8,457 kilometers to 16,296 kilometers. The state has also moved from having mostly single-lane roads to multi-lane roads.
The government’s goal is to make it possible to travel from any part of Bihar to Patna within 3. 5 hours by 2027. These road projects are expected to create many jobs and help the local economy by making it easier for farmers to take their goods to markets and for small businesses to grow. Improved roads also mean better access to schools and health centers.
“The Mukhyamantri Gramien Sadak Unnayan Yojana has become a lifeline for villages. This scheme is directly linked to employment, education, health. economic development. Villagers now have roads connecting them to the mainstream of development. The construction of the remaining roads will also be completed rapidly in the coming months.”
– Ashok Chaudhary, Rural Works Minister.
“These initiatives will significantly enhance traffic movement in West Patna and provide better connectivity to critical locations such as Patliputra Path, JP Setu. AIIMS.”
– Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Despite the overall progress, some specific issues have been noted. For example, in Jehanabad, large trees were left in the middle of a newly built ₹100 crore road, causing vehicles to go around them. Officials are looking into such matters to ensure better planning and coordination. The Road Construction Department is working to improve the quality of roads and plans to deal with older bridges that need repairs.
