Patna: Patna is set to transform one of its most notorious stretches of road, where a long-neglected drain has long caused foul smells, accidents and traffic congestion. A new four-lane road is being constructed over the 5.7-kilometre Saidpur-Gaighat drain, promising a journey from Nala Road to Pahari in just 15–20 minutes. City planners hope it will become a key east-west link across Patna.
Work is already progressing on the Choti Pahari side, and construction on the Saidpur end is scheduled to begin on December 5. Traffic will be diverted via the NCC Campus, Physical College and Science City, though a programme at the NCC campus between December4 and 10 may cause temporary delays.
Once complete, the road is expected to directly benefit approximately 200,000 residents. It should also ease pressure on Ashoka Rajpath, Mahendru and Kankarbagh roads, where traffic congestion is currently severe.
Historically part of the Badshahi Pain, the drain has become a symbol of neglect, with open garbage, broken roads and more than 75 encroachments lining its course. In addition, 274 electricity poles will need to be removed or relocated. Initially planned as a simple repair project, the scheme has been expanded into a full four-lane development after two years of delays.
The project, jointly undertaken by STPL and RR, was initially estimated at Rs 259 crore but has risen to Rs 331.4 crore. The section from Saidpur to Gaighat will be converted into a covered “box drain”, while from Gaighat to Pahadi Pump, the drain will remain open with roads on either side. The drain will have a base width of seven metres and an upper width of 12 metres, and a duct will be installed to carry power cables underground.
Local residents, long accustomed to accidents and foul smells, have welcomed the plan. “Vehicles often fall into the drain. The stench makes it difficult to live here,” said Shamsher Alam of New Azimabad. Manish Kumar of Gaighat added: “If the road is widened, it will provide relief from the Kankarbagh-Musallahpur commute.”
Officials expect the project to deliver multiple benefits: it will create a smooth east-west passenger route connecting Rajendra Nagar, Kankarbagh, Nala Road, Gaighat and central Patna; reduce traffic on key arterial roads; eliminate foul odours and overflow; enhance safety and urban beautification; and strengthen the city’s drainage system, which serves several pumping stations and treatment plants.
Saeedpur Ward Councillor Indradeep Chandravanshi said: “Once work begins on both sides on December 5, the project will gain momentum. This will become Patna’s new traffic corridor.”
For Patna’s residents, the four-lane road over the city’s longest drain is more than an infrastructure project—it is a long-awaited step towards safer, cleaner and faster commutes.
