Gopalganj-Patna Expressway to Cut Travel Time in Half, Rs 2,200 Crore Project Approved

Gopalganj: The Bihar government has approved the construction of an 87 km expressway connecting Gopalganj to Patna, significantly reducing travel time between the two cities. The project, estimated to cost Rs 2,200 crore, is expected to ease traffic congestion in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Saran, Gopalganj, and Vaishali districts.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the project during his Pragati Yatra, following which the state cabinet sanctioned development schemes worth Rs 7.5 billion. The expressway will run from Dumariya Ghat in Gopalganj to Bakarpur in Saran district, with a four-lane road covering 67 km in Saran and 20 km in Gopalganj. Once completed, the journey between Gopalganj and Patna will take just 1.5 hours instead of the current three hours.

Speaking at a press conference, Gopalganj District Magistrate Prashant Kumar CH said a proposal for the project has been submitted to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) before initiating the tendering process. He added that the new route would bypass market areas, ensuring a smoother and faster commute.

Infrastructure Boost in Gopalganj

Alongside the expressway, a high-level RCC bridge will be constructed over the Daha river at Dumariya Path, connecting Nawada Parsauni village in Uchkagaon block. The bridge, costing Rs 7.61 crore, will span 58.08 metres and improve connectivity for residents of Uchkagaon, Phulwaria, and Kateya blocks, making access to the district headquarters, railway station, and Thawe temple more convenient.

The Bihar cabinet has also approved Rs 3.51 billion for strengthening and blacktopping key embankments in Gopalganj district. Additionally, Rs 1.26 billion has been allocated for a 12.60 km southern bypass of the city, linking NH 27 at Danapur to NH 531 near Turkhan. A further Rs 1.31 billion will fund a 3.18 km bypass from Salempatti village to Mirganj-Bhagipatti-Samaur road.

For industrial development, Rs 90.35 crore has been sanctioned for a 5.75 km bypass from Vijayipur on the Bhore-Pagra road to the COMFED plant in Bairia. The government has also approved Rs 30.75 crore for road and drainage improvements, a car parking facility, and other infrastructure enhancements near Thawe temple.

In a move benefiting around 36,000 sugarcane farmers in the district, the state has increased the procurement rate by Rs 10 per quintal. Officials say the combined infrastructure projects will play a crucial role in the region’s economic and industrial development.