New Bridge Over Ganga In Buxar, Patna-Purnia Expressway: Budget Fillip Puts Bihar On Progress Path

Pitching a model of ‘Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi’, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on Tuesday announced two new expressways for Bihar – Patna-Purnia and Buxar-Bhagalpur expressways. She also announced connectivity to Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Vaishali, Darbhanga though spur roads.

The Minister said a total of Rs 26,000 crore is kept for roads in Bihar that included a new bridge on river Ganga in Buxar.

The distance between Patna and Purnia is around 300 km and takes around six to eight hours. The proposed road will be greenfield highway and will be access controlled and will reduce the travel time to around three to four hours. Further, Buxar and Bhagalpur are around 400 km away and the journey takes around eight to nine hours. The expressway will reduce the travel time to around four hours. Buxar is situated near Uttar Pradesh border and Bhagalpur is near the Jharkhand border. The new expressway will also ease the journey for those who want to cross Bihar for a longer journey.

These new roads for Bihar will give several districts a first expressway and will open the door for faster development and opening of new industries.

She said that Gaya will be developed as an industrial node on the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor.

These announcements for Bihar are seen as the Union government’s attempt to please its alliance Janata Dal (United), state’s ruling party.

On March 15, in a post on social media post on X, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that Rs 531.61 crore has been approved for the construction of an additional 3-lane bridge over the River Ganga, facilitating connectivity between Buxar on NH-922 and the Purvanchal Expressway via the Buxar spur under NH (O).

“This development aims to improve connectivity between Buxar in Bihar and Balia in Uttar Pradesh, offering a solution to the traffic congestion issues currently experienced on the existing 2-lane bridge over the River Ganga. Furthermore, the construction of this bridge will seamlessly link Patna to Varanasi and Lucknow, enhancing overall transportation efficiency in the region,” Gadkari had said.

Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of Union Budget 2024. Get the latest on new income tax slab rates for AY 2024-25 in Income Tax Slabs Budget 2024 LIVE Updates . Track the impact of Budget 2024 on the stock market in Stock Market Budget Day 2024 LIVE Updates. Watch Union Budget LIVE Streaming here