Patna: The Bihar government has restarted efforts to widen the Aurangabad–Arwal highway into a four-lane road, following concerns raised over traffic volume and road safety on the busy stretch that links the state to Chhattisgarh.
The move came after Manoj Sharma, the BJP MLA from Arwal, met Dilip Jaiswal, the state’s road construction minister, on Tuesday. Officials said Jaiswal responded by directing his department to prepare a fresh proposal to the central government for the four-laning of the route and instructed the department’s secretary to examine immediate options.
Sharma submitted a memorandum seeking the widening of the Aurangabad–Patna highway via Arwal, identified as National Highway 139, describing it as a major link road connecting Bihar with Chhattisgarh. According to the memorandum, the highway currently handles a Passenger Car Unit (PCU) load of between 18,000 and 25,000, far exceeding thresholds recommended for two-lane roads.
Despite the heavy traffic, the road remains only about seven metres wide, a factor the MLA said was contributing to frequent accidents. He pointed out that under road safety norms, a highway is generally considered for four-laning once traffic crosses 10,000 PCU. “On this stretch alone, around 18,000 multi-axle sand trucks operate daily from the sand ghats of Arwal district,” Sharma said in his representation.
The MLA also cited the government’s stated commitment to connect every district headquarters with four-lane roads, arguing that NH-139 should be included in both state and central infrastructure plans. He said the continued exclusion of the project had caused hardship for residents of Aurangabad and Arwal districts.
Responding to the memorandum, Jaiswal said the department would pursue the matter with the Centre and explore what steps could be taken without delay. Officials said the fresh request would focus on traffic density, safety concerns and the strategic importance of the corridor.
If approved, the four-laning of the Aurangabad–Arwal highway is expected to improve connectivity, reduce accidents and ease the movement of goods and passengers along one of south Bihar’s key transport routes.
