Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the three lane 1.5 km long Koilwar bridge over Sone river in Bihar through Video Conferencing today. A sum of Rs 266 crore has been spent on the bridge. The existing two lane bridge for both rail and road traffic is 138 years old. A six-lane bridge is being made in its place, of which, a three-lane carriageway has been opened for public. After completion of the other carriageway, the traffic on NH-922 and NH-30 will ease substantially. The bridge is major road for transport between Bihar and UP.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Gadkari announced that as proposed by the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar and local MP Shri Rajeev Pratap Rudy, the Ministry has approved a four-lane elevated road from Bharauli (Buxar) to Haidaria for providing connectivity to the Poorvanchal Expressway. The DPR for this 17-km-long link road will be ready by June next year. The Ministry has also approved the widening of 70-km Mokama- Munger road, for which DPR will be completed by April next. Similarly, work on widening of Muzzaffpur – Barauni road will start soon.  The proposal of four-laning of Khagaria-Purnea road (NH-31) has also been approved and its DPR will be ready by the coming April. The four-laning of Muzaffarpur- Sitamarhi-Sonewarsha road (NH-77), which is part of Ramjanki Marg, will simplify the travel to Jakanpur Dham (Nepal), and its DPR will be ready May next year.

The Union Minister also referred to the proposals sent by Union Minister Shri R K Singh for development of road network in Bihar. He said, keeping in view his suggestions, a new alignment has been prepared for the Sasaram-Aarah-Patna Greenfield project. On the Aarah Ringroad, 90 per cent work will be covered by the existing three projects, he said. Union Minister of state (I/C) for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri R K Singh, expressed happiness over the inauguration of bridge. He thanked the Prime Minister and Roadways Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari for transforming the Road and Highway landscape of the Arrah region of Bihar. He asked the Roadways minister to sanction Ring Road for Arrah by connecting Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Greenfield project with Patna Arrah-Buxar Road.

Shri Gadkari informed that road works worth Rs 30000 crore are ongoing in Bihar. A sum of Rs 4600 crore has been released for compensation against land acquisitions. Under the PM’s package, which involves 24 projects of 1459 Km, the work is on over 875 kms. Under this, tender for 125 km. has been issued and by next March tender will be released for another 459 kms. He said, under CRF works worth Rs. 2097 crore has been approved in the last six years in Bihar, against which Rs 1281 crore has been released till now.

The Minister informed that the 7-km four lane Koshi bridge worth Rs 1478 crore is likely to be completed by the year 2023. Tender the 4 km long Rs 1110 crore Vikramshila bridge has been issued and the construction likely to complete in 2024. The work on Buxar bridge, lying within the 48 km. road project, will be completed by the next year. This bridge will provide an alternative route of 250 km which takes 6 to 8 hours for travel. The tender for 6 km Rs 1900 crore Sahibganj bridge connecting Bihar and Jharkhand has been issued, and the construction is scheduled to complete by September 2024. Work on the remaining two-lane bridge over river Ganga in Patna will be completed by next year. A sum of Rs 1742 crore is being spent on reconstruction of this 5.5 km. bridge. He also announced the construction of a new four lane, five-km long bridge over Ganga near the existing bridge in Patna, for which an agreement has been signed in this October. This will be a unique bridge with 242 metre span facilitating movement of large ships under it. He added that the Ramjanaki Marg is being constructed between Ayodhya and Janakpuri (Nepal), of which 240 kms. is in Bihar worth Rs. 2700 crore. He said, work on 177 kms will be completed by June next year. The balance 63m kms will start in March 2021.

The event was attended by Chief Minister Shri Nitin Kumar, Deputy CMs Shri Tarkishore Prasad and Smt Renu Devi, Union Ministers Shri R K Singh and Gen (Dr) V K Singh, several Ministers of the State, Senior officers of the Centre and the State.

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