Patna: The Government of Bihar aims to upgrade 900km of highways and construct footbridges to reduce pedestrian fatalities. The state government of Bihar has announced an ambitious infrastructure initiative aimed at upgrading approximately 900km of state highways to at least two-lane roads, with some stretches earmarked for four-lane expansion. The move is part of a broader strategy to cut travel times across the state and bolster road safety.
The state’s road construction department has already initiated preliminary work on the project, which is expected to cost around ₹10,000 crore. A proposal seeking central government support for the four-lane conversion is due to be submitted in the coming months.
Departmental data reveals that since 2005, the length of roads in Bihar has nearly doubled—from 14,468km to 26,081km. Of this, 6,147km constitute national highways, 3,638km are designated state highways, and 16,296km are classified as major district roads.
The road upgrades are central to Bihar’s long-standing goal of improving intra-state connectivity. In 2016, the government met its target of enabling travel to Patna from any part of the state within six hours. By 2024, that benchmark was reduced to five hours. Authorities now aim to achieve a four-hour maximum travel time to the capital by the 2027–28 fiscal year.
Officials noted that approximately a quarter of Bihar’s state highways remain single-lane or intermediate-width roads. The current push will ensure all such routes are upgraded to at least two-lane standards. The government is also exploring the potential reclassification of some state roads as national highways.
As part of its broader infrastructure push, the state will also install foot overbridges (FOBs) across key thoroughfares in Patna and other urban areas. The decision follows a recent Road Safety Council meeting which flagged the alarming number of pedestrian casualties—many the result of hit-and-run incidents involving buses, trucks, and other vehicles.
Authorities hope that the combination of road widening and pedestrian infrastructure will ease congestion, enhance road safety, and better connect district and block headquarters across Bihar.
