Patna: The Bihar Road Construction Department has directed officials and contractors to accelerate work on the Sultanpur–Aguwani Ghat Ganga bridge project, setting a strict deadline of 18 months for completion. The directive was issued during a high-level review meeting chaired by Department Secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal in Patna on Tuesday.
According to officials, the meeting focused on key technical and logistical aspects of the project, including bridge design, approach roads, and the Pasaraha rail overbridge. Senior departmental officers, engineers, consultants and representatives of the implementing agencies attended the review, where Pankaj Pal instructed authorities to remove construction bottlenecks without delay.
The bridge, which aims to connect Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts across the Ganga, is seen as a critical infrastructure project for the region. Officials said the project would improve connectivity, facilitate trade and transport, and support broader socio-economic development. The foundation and sub-structure design has received in-principle approval from IIT Roorkee, while work is underway on well caps between key bridge piers. Additional proposals for pending spans are currently under technical review.
He warned that failure to meet the project timeline could lead to the blacklisting of the executing agency. He also ordered weekly progress reviews by the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation and instructed contractors to submit detailed work programmes and milestones immediately. The department, he said, would continue close monitoring to ensure timely and smooth execution.
The approach road for the bridge spans 20.3 kilometres, with a target completion date of May 2026. Work is ongoing on most sections, except the Pasaraha rail overbridge. Pankaj Pal directed contractors to deploy adequate resources and accelerate construction while maintaining strict quality standards, stating that any compromise on construction quality would not be tolerated.
