Bihar Gets Green Light for ₹3,822 Cr. Highway

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 78.94 km four-lane greenfield highway between Sahebganj, Areraj, and Bettiah in Bihar, as part of National Highway-139W.

With a total investment of ₹3,822.31 crore, the project will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and is aimed at significantly improving regional connectivity, particularly between Patna and northern districts such as Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, and West Champaran. It will also facilitate cross-border trade with Nepal.

Designed for high-speed vehicular traffic (up to 100 km/h), the new highway will reduce travel time between key points from 2.5 hours to just one hour, while easing congestion on existing routes.

The project will connect seven PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, along with multiple logistics hubs, social infrastructure, and key tourist and religious destinations, including:

Kesariya Buddha Stupa (Sahebganj), Someshwarnath Mandir (Areraj), Jain Mandir and Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Vaishali)

Mahavir Temple (Patna)

This strategic corridor will strengthen Bihar’s Buddhist tourism circuit and support the state’s broader economic development goals.

The project is also expected to generate substantial employment, creating over 14.22 lakh man-days of direct employment and an estimated 17.69 lakh man-days indirectly during the construction phase.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.