Bihar's First Expressway: NHAI To Conduct Feasibility Study For Buxar-Bhagalpur After Gadkari, Tejashwi Yadav Meet

According to a high-ranking official familiar with the situation, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will conduct a feasibility assessment for the construction of Bihar's inaugural expressway, spanning from Buxar to Bhagalpur.

The initiative emerged from a preliminary agreement reached during a meeting between Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, in New Delhi. The meeting took place on a Thursday (24 August), where both parties deliberated on the matter.

The authoritative figure, who formed part of the state delegation present at the meeting with the Minister, disclosed that this expressway is proposed as a greenfield project.

This initiative adds to the array of anticipated four-lane expressways, including the Gorakhpur-Siliguri, Raxaul-Haldia via Patna, and Amas-Darbhanga access-controlled highways.

The design of the expressway aims to enable vehicles to travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h, while the access-controlled highways are designed for speeds of up to 100 km/h.

Gadkari conveyed to the Bihar delegation, headed by Yadav, who is also in charge of road construction, that NHAI will soon initiate the tender process to secure a competent construction company to erect a six-lane bridge over the Ganga River. This bridge, estimated at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore, will run parallel to the JP Setu in Patna.

Given the extensive nature of the project, involving a budget exceeding Rs 2,000 crore, Gadkari highlighted that the approval of the Prime Minister's office (PMO) is necessary. He confirmed that the PMO has granted clearance, and the project will proceed for approval from the Union cabinet.

Furthermore, Gadkari assured the completion of the long-pending Patna-Gaya-Dobhi four-lane road (NH-83) project by year-end, facilitating vehicular traffic. He also addressed the need for the completion of ongoing road projects, such as the Chapra-Hajipur stretch of NH-19, Muzaffarpur bypass, Maheshkhut-Saharsa-Purnia (NH-107), and Birpur-Udakishanganj-Bihpur (NH106).

The Buxar-Bhagalpur expressway, if sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), will connect with the 343-km-long Purvanchal Expressway, extending from Chand Sarai in Lucknow to Haidaria in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.

Responding to a request from Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, Gadkari confirmed that work on the Danapur-Bihta elevated road will commence soon, with the project's tender process set to finalize by the end of the month.

Following the meeting, Tejashwi Yadav, speaking to the media, praised Gadkari for his positive engagement. Yadav expressed Bihar's need for an expressway and urged the MoRTH Minister to expedite pending road projects.

The Deputy CM had the opportunity to ride in Gadkari's hydrogen-powered car from the meeting venue to Bihar Bhawan.