India approves ₹1.64 lakh crore road infrastructure projects in Bihar

The Indian central government has approved a massive road infrastructure expansion in Bihar, totaling 2,424 kilometers of roadwork with an estimated investment of ₹1,64,518 crore. The projects, approved during a high-level meeting in Delhi, include highway widening, the construction of new bypasses, and the development of railway overbridges.

The approved works are divided into two main categories: 18 projects managed by the National Highways Division and the Bihar Road Construction Department, covering approximately 739 kilometers at a cost of ₹24,940 crore, and 14 projects under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) spanning roughly 1,685 kilometers with an investment of ₹1,39,578 crore. Key developments include the widening of NH-333A from Barbigha to Jharkhand, and improvements to the Darbhanga-Jaynagar and Sitamarhi-Chiraut roads.

A major component of this plan is the 568-kilometer Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway. Approximately 417 kilometers of this expressway will pass through eight districts in Bihar, including West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj. This route is expected to enhance connectivity between Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. Additionally, the government has approved the third and fourth packages of the Ram Janaki Path project, with an estimated cost of ₹8,600 crore.