Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Road Construction Minister Vijay Sinha has announced an ambitious plan to revolutionize road connectivity across the state. Speaking at a press conference in Patna, he stated that by 2027, people will be able to reach Patna from any part of Bihar within three hours, compared to the current five-hour travel time.
To achieve this, the government is upgrading road infrastructure, enabling vehicles to run at 120 km per hour across major highways. The state has allocated ₹1 lakh crore for expressway construction, ensuring smoother and faster travel.
Key Expressway Projects Underway
- Travel time between Patna and Purnia will be reduced to just two and a half hours.
- The Gorakhpur-Siliguri route has been approved by the Central government, and the Raxaul-Hardiya route is expected to receive approval next month.
- A total of 662 km of expressways are currently under construction in Bihar.
- The Patna-Pune Expressway will be built at a cost of ₹18,042 crore.
New Corridors and Bridge Projects
- Proposals for the Pashupati Baijnath Corridor and Narayani Corridor have been sent to the Central government.
- Two major bridges will be constructed over the Kosi River.
- A new bridge on the Gandak River is also planned.
Highlighting Bihar’s rapid infrastructure progress, Vijay Sinha emphasized that the “double-engine government” is committed to improving road connectivity, making travel between eastern and western Bihar much faster and more efficient.
Strict Action Against Corrupt Contractors
Addressing concerns over corruption, Vijay Sinha assured that strict action is being taken against those involved in financial irregularities. Referring to the ₹26 crore road repair fraud in Gaya, he confirmed that:
- Contractors guilty of irregularities during Shravani Mela road repairs have been blacklisted for 10 years.
- Action is also being taken against engineers involved in fraudulent activities.
