Patna: The Bihar government is preparing to introduce a State Highway Act in a move aimed at transforming the state’s road infrastructure and enabling the construction of its own expressways.
Once enacted, the law would allow Bihar to join states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra that develop and operate expressways under their own legislative frameworks.
At present, road development in the state largely operates under provisions of the National Highway Act. The proposed legislation is expected to create a legal framework for building five major expressways planned under the government’s Saat Nischay-3 programme.
Officials from the road construction department recently visited Maharashtra to study its expressway model. The delegation was led by departmental secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal and examined how dedicated authorities manage large-scale road infrastructure projects.
Under the proposed legislation, the Bihar government is considering the formation of an independent Expressway Authority to oversee planning, construction and management of expressways in the state.
Officials said the new framework would allow road infrastructure to be developed through public-private partnership models, reducing the direct financial burden on the state government. Toll collection policies for roads constructed under the hybrid annuity model are also expected to fall under the scope of the proposed law.
The legislation is also expected to set stricter criteria for declaring State Highways. Under the new standards, only roads connecting at least two national highways or linking major cities to the state capital, Patna, would qualify as State Highways.
Roads leading to key tourist destinations and important religious centres may also be included in this category.
According to officials, such highways would have a minimum width of 7.5 metres, equivalent to two lanes, while additional land ranging from 30 to 60 metres would be acquired to allow future expansion.
The state government’s broader objective is to improve connectivity to emerging industrial zones and reduce travel time between major urban centres.
The proposed expressways are expected to be elevated above existing roads and designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph, with most projects planned as six or eight-lane corridors.
