Patna: Residents of East Patna are set to receive a long-awaited infrastructure boost, with the 44km four-lane road from Bakhtiyarpur to Mokama nearing completion. With 95% of the work finished, vehicles are expected to start using the highway by March 2025, significantly improving travel time and easing congestion.
For the past decade, commuters have benefited from the 50km four-lane stretch between Patna and Bakhtiyarpur. Additionally, for the past year, vehicles have been using the Barh-Mokama section of the highway even before its formal inauguration. Now, with the final leg between Bakhtiyarpur and Mokama set to open, the route will provide a seamless connection to Rajendra Bridge and the upcoming Simaria Bridge over the Ganges, improving access to North Bihar.
Faster Travel, Reduced Congestion
Currently, it takes about one and a half hours to travel from Bakhtiyarpur to Mokama via the existing road. The new four-lane highway will cut this journey time to just 30 minutes. This development is expected to benefit thousands of daily commuters traveling between Bakhtiyarpur, Mokama, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, and other parts of eastern and northeastern Bihar.
The construction of the Bakhtiyarpur-Mokama four-lane highway (NH-31) began in June 2017 at an initial cost of Rs 837 crore. However, land acquisition delays pushed the project’s deadline from its original target of December 2020 to March 2023. Costs have since escalated to Rs 1,167 crore.
Toll System and Future Plans
At present, vehicles can travel toll-free between Barh and Mokama, but once the Bakhtiyarpur-Barh section is completed in March 2025, a toll plaza at Pandarak will be operational. A toll facility is already under construction near Bihari Bigha village in Pandarak, which will start functioning once the entire highway is open. Currently, vehicles enter the four-lane at Didarganj, Patna, traveling about 45km before switching to the old two-lane road at Bakhtiyarpur.
Key Infrastructure Addition: Railway Overbridge
To further improve connectivity, a bridge is being constructed over the railway line near Karanauti village, a key bottleneck on the route. The first lane of the bridge is expected to be completed next month, after which work on the second lane will begin. Initially, vehicles will use a single lane for movement.
