Patna: The Bihar and central governments have accelerated work on widening the Barbigha–Panjwara national highway (NH-333A) to four lanes, a project expected to significantly ease travel between Bihar and neighbouring Jharkhand and support regional economic growth.
The 190km highway, which runs from Barbigha in Sheikhpura district through Jamui and Banka to Panjwara, is being upgraded under the supervision of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Once completed, the four-lane corridor will improve connectivity for Sheikhpura, Jamui and Banka districts, linking them more efficiently to Jharkhand and to NH-131E, the Bhagalpur–Hansdiha route.
Officials said the road will have a width of 25 metres in urban stretches and 40 metres in open areas. Land acquisition work has gathered pace, with authorities identifying roadside land and setting up compensation camps for affected landowners.
In Sheikhpura district, the highway begins near Shri Krishna Chowk in Barbigha, passes through the district headquarters and extends to Siyani Mor in Chewara block, covering about 33.8km before entering Jamui district via Lakhisarai. The district land acquisition officer said the NH-333A stretch in Sheikhpura spans 33.08km across 35 villages, with land identified in 33 of them.
A total of 94.96 hectares of land is required in the district, of which 82.72 hectares has already been identified. More than half of this—56.45 hectares—is government land. The state has allocated Rs 72 crore to acquire the remaining land from 2,991 landowners.
The four-lane highway will include 11 major junctions at Chewara, Sikandra, Jamui, Mallehpur, Gidhaur, Jhajha, Bhaironganj, Rajwara, Katoria, Kakbara and Banka. Officials say the project is expected to improve traffic flow, reduce travel time and support social and economic development along the corridor.
