Patna: The Bihar government has revised plans to widen the Bihta–Maner–Danapur road in an effort to ease traffic congestion on the busy 22.74km corridor connecting western Patna with surrounding towns.
The road, earlier designated as part of National Highway 30, currently functions as a two-lane stretch measuring about 7 metres in width. Authorities had initially proposed expanding it into a four-lane road measuring around 14 metres.
However, a survey conducted during the planning stage revealed that many trees lining the road date back to the British era, with some estimated to be nearly 200 years old. Widening the road to four lanes would have required large-scale tree cutting.
Following the findings, the state government decided to modify the plan. Instead of converting the road into a four-lane highway, it will now be widened by about 1.5 metres on both sides.
Officials from the road construction department said the revised plan will allow the corridor to function as a three-lane road while preserving most of the historic trees. Only around 30 to 35 trees are expected to be removed under the new design.
The department recently issued a re-tender worth about Rs 81 crore for the widening and strengthening of the stretch between Bihta Chowk and Danapur.
Ten companies participated in the tender process. During a meeting held on March 10, the technical bid evaluation committee of the road construction department reviewed the bids.
Three firms were found ineligible, while seven companies cleared the technical evaluation stage. These include Surendra Prasad & Lahri Construction Pvt Ltd, Dayanand Prasad Sinha & Company, Adarsh Construction, Mother India Construction Pvt Ltd, Baba Hans Construction Pvt Ltd, Amhara Construction Pvt Ltd and Ram Kripal Singh Construction Pvt Ltd.
Officials said the project is expected to significantly improve traffic movement along the corridor, which frequently experiences congestion due to its narrow width.
With each lane measuring around 3.5 metres, the expanded road will allow smoother vehicle movement and provide space for roadside parking, reducing traffic bottlenecks.
Authorities also expect further improvement in traffic conditions once the corridor connects with the JP Ganga Path, which is designed to streamline traffic flow in and around Patna.
