Patna: The Union minister of state for road transport and highways, Harsh Malhotra, on Friday reviewed the progress of several national highway projects in Bihar during a meeting with officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state’s road construction department.
The meeting, held in Patna, was attended by the secretary of the road construction department, Pankaj Kumar Pal, along with representatives of National Highways and NHAI. Regional officials from across the state also joined the discussions through video conferencing.
Officials presented updates on major ongoing projects in Patna and other parts of Bihar, focusing on issues such as land acquisition, construction timelines, traffic management and connectivity improvements. Key projects discussed included the Amas–Darbhanga, Galgalia–Bahadurganj, Munger–Mirza Chowki, Rajauli–Bakhtiyarpur, Patna–Gaya–Dobhi and East–West corridor routes, as well as the proposed Patna Ring Road.
During the meeting, Pal briefed the minister on the alignment of the northern section of the Patna Ring Road, which will run between Dighwara and Sarai. According to officials, the state government has approved the alignment keeping in view the proposed greenfield airport at Sonepur, which has already received cabinet approval. The road project is expected to improve connectivity to the airport and open up land for industrial development in nearby districts such as Vaishali and Saran.
Malhotra directed NHAI officials to prepare and submit the detailed project report (DPR) for the northern section of the ring road at the earliest so that the Union government can grant formal approval. Discussions were also held on improving road connectivity to the proposed Sonepur airport, including a proposal for a service road linking State Highway-74 to the Patna–Bettiah route.
The review also examined bottlenecks affecting highway projects across the state. Particular attention was given to the construction of the Dumaria Ghat bridge over the Gandak river and progress on the Hajipur–Chhapra (NH-19) and Amas–Darbhanga routes. Officials said the aim is to complete the bridge project in Sonepur within six months.
The meeting further discussed the possibility of constructing a new highway between Darbhanga and Supaul along a greenfield alignment. State officials also reiterated their request for approval to develop proposed expressways in Bihar with six lanes.
Traffic congestion in Vaishali was another focus of the discussions, with officials considering the construction of a multi-level junction at Ramashish Chowk. Malhotra asked authorities to speed up the approval process, saying the project would ease travel for commuters heading towards Muzaffarpur, Patna and Chhapra.
The minister also directed officials to improve traffic safety by developing junctions at Madhaul and Kanti along the Muzaffarpur bypass.
In Patna, authorities were instructed to plan approach roads on both sides of JP Ganga Path with the help of a transport planner. The aim is to ensure smooth connectivity between the bridge under construction and major city corridors including Atal Path, Patlipath, JP Ganga Path and the Digha–Sherpur Ganga Path, which officials say will help reduce congestion and improve links between Patna and north Bihar.
