Patna: Aonta Ghat-Simaria 6-lane Ganga bridge, hailed as a symbol of Bihar’s modern infrastructure, will be inaugurated on August 22, 2025, by the prime minister. The bridge links Aonta in Mokama with Simaria in Begusarai, spanning 1.865 km, while the entire project including approach roads stretches 8.150 km. Built at a cost of Rs 1,871 crore, the new bridge is expected to significantly improve road connectivity between North and South Bihar.
Until now, the only link across this stretch of the Ganga was the Rajendra Setu, a 2-lane rail-cum-road bridge commissioned in 1959. The foundation stone for Rajendra Setu had been laid by India’s first president, Rajendra Prasad, in 1956. With traffic volumes having grown enormously over the past 70 years, the old bridge no longer meets transport needs.
The plan for a new 6-lane bridge was included in the special package for Bihar announced by the prime minister in 2015, with the foundation stone laid in Mokama in 2017. Alongside the inauguration of the Ganga bridge, a 44.60 km 4-lane road between Bakhtiyarpur and Mokama will also be opened. This project, costing Rs 1,899 crore, completes 4-lane connectivity from Patna to Khagaria via Mokama and Begusarai. Road widening between Simaria and Khagaria has also been completed, while plans are in progress to extend 4-lane roads from Khagaria to Purnia.
The new bridge, built to the east of Rajendra Setu, will ease the movement of heavy vehicles, including trucks transporting stone and sand from South to North Bihar, as well as cargo headed towards Northeast India. A separate rail bridge is also under construction west of the existing structure.
