Patna: Commuters travelling between Munger and Bhagalpur are set to experience a significant reduction in journey time with the completion of a new two-lane road connecting Bhagalpur to MirzaChowki. The project, part of the state government’s Phase II development, is expected to conclude by April, allowing the 120-kilometre journey to be covered in roughly one and a half hours.
The upgraded route features a 10-metre-wide carriageway with paved shoulders, replacing the previously damaged five-metre-wide road that suffered extensive erosion during the 2018 floods. The existing route had long struggled under heavy traffic, creating difficulties not only for local commuters but also for transport operators and businesses relying on the corridor.
Calls for reconstruction had come from various quarters, including the Bhagalpur Industry Truck Association and concerned citizens from neighbouring districts. Initially, a project estimate was submitted to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), but the plan did not receive financial approval as NHAI priorities focused on “Greenfield” road development. The state government subsequently submitted a revised estimate to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which approved both the widening of the route and the raising of flood-prone sections by one metre to ensure long-term resilience.
Officials from the Road Construction Department report that work on the first package—from Munger to Bhagalpur—has already been completed. The second package, covering a 47.7-kilometre stretch between Bhagalpur and Mirza Chowki at an estimated cost of Rs 566.15 crore, is expected to be finished next month. Once operational, the route will significantly ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity across the region.
