Patna: Only 28% of Bihar’s National Highways are four lanes or wider, and the proportion is even lower on state and district roads, according to the latest assessment by the state’s Road Construction Department. The report highlights the acute limitations of Bihar’s road width and the scale of infrastructural deficits across the state.
The findings show that just 1.11% of state highways and 0.69% of major district roads (MDRs) are four-lane. Of the state’s 26,791km of urban roads, only 1,973km, or 7%, meet the four-lane or above standard.
National Highways still narrow
Bihar’s total National Highway network has grown to 6,389km, but large sections remain narrow:
- 406km are still single lane (3.75m wide)
- 3,215km are two lane (7m wide)
- Only 1,816km are four lane or wider
The report notes that some NH stretches continue to operate as single-lane corridors despite carrying interstate traffic.
State highways and MDRs lag further behind
State highways, spanning 3,617km, show similar patterns:
- 268km remain single lane
- 270km are intermediate lane (5.5m wide)
- 3,038km are two lane
- Just 40km reach four-lane standards
Major district roads, totalling 16,784km, are also limited in width, with:
- 5,343km single lane
- 7,983km intermediate lane
- 116km four lane
Roads per population far below national average
The report also underscores how severely Bihar trails national benchmarks. The state has only 4.54km of National Highways per 100,000 people, less than half the national average of 10.90km.
Officials, however, maintain that the state’s road network has improved over time. In 2005, Bihar had just 3,600km of National Highways; this has since grown to 6,389km, a 77% increase.
Snapshot: Road Status in Bihar
- Urban roads: 26,791km
- Single lane: 5,612km
- Intermediate lane: 8,660km
- Seven metre (two lane): 9,463km
- Four lane or more: 1,973km
The report makes clear that Bihar’s road network continues to expand, but its width—and therefore its capacity—remains limited. Transport planners say widening remains one of the state’s most urgent infrastructure needs as vehicle numbers and freight movement continue to rise.
