Patna: Bihar is set to see a major expansion of its road network in 2026, with the state’s first six-lane national highway due to open and construction expected to begin on four new expressways, according to officials from the road construction department.
The Varanasi–Aurangabad project, Bihar’s first six-lane national highway, is in its final stages and scheduled for completion this year. Once operational, the road is expected to significantly ease travel between Bihar and Delhi via Uttar Pradesh. Another six-lane stretch, the Aurangabad–Chorda road, is also nearing completion and is expected to improve connectivity with Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Bihar’s first access-controlled highway, being built between Amas and Darbhanga, is also due to be completed in 2026 after missing its original 2025 deadline. Officials said several other projects would be finished this year, including the Chakia–Bairgania and Parsarma–Saharsa–Mahishi two-lane roads.
In and around Patna, the Sonpur–Bakarpur–Manikpur section of the Patna–Bettiah route is set to open, improving access from Patna AIIMS to Sonpur and Bakarpur via the JP Ganga Path. The Kacchi Dargah–Bidupur and Bakhtiyarpur–Tajpur projects are also expected to be completed.
A number of four-lane and two-lane road projects across the state are scheduled for completion in 2026, including the Gaya–Biharsharif four-lane road and stretches connecting Baisi, Bahadurganj, Dighalbank, Bettiah, Narkatiaganj, Katihar, Balrampur, Mansi and Simri Bakhtiyarpur, among others.
Looking ahead, the central government has granted expressway status to the proposed Patna–Purnea road, with financial approval expected soon. This would allow work to begin on Bihar’s first expressway in 2026. Construction may also start on the Gorakhpur–Siliguri, Raxaul–Haldia and Buxar–Bhagalpur expressways, as well as an access-controlled highway linking Patna, Ara and Sasaram.
Several major bridge and bypass projects are also in the pipeline. Construction of a bridge over the Son river, as well as road realignment through the protected forest area of Rohtas along the Varanasi–Kolkata corridor, is expected to begin this year. Work is also set to start on the Bhagalpur–Hansdiha four-lane road and the Arwal and Daudnagar bypasses on the Patna–Aurangabad route.
The state government has said it may independently fund some state highway projects with support from financial institutions. Among them is a proposed “marine drive” along the Ganges in the Bhagalpur–Munger stretch, a long-awaited project that officials say will enhance both connectivity and riverfront development.
Construction is also expected to begin on a series of new bridges and road upgrades, including a road overbridge in Samastipur, a two-lane bridge over the Burhi Gandak river, and widening work on key routes such as Darbhanga–Jaynagar and Mokama–Munger. The government has also announced plans to begin work on what it described as the country’s longest bridge over the Gandak river later this year.
Officials said the combined projects were aimed at reducing travel times, easing congestion and supporting economic growth across Bihar.
