Under CM Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s Road Network Doubles in Two Decades of Infrastructure Overhaul

Patna: Bihar’s road infrastructure has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with the total length of constructed roads nearly doubling emerging as one of the state’s most visible markers of development since 2005.

According to data from the Road Construction Department, the state had just 14,468 kilometres of roads until 2005. By 2025, that figure is expected to exceed 26,000 kilometres. Officials attribute this leap not only to increased construction but also to a strategic overhaul in planning, investment, and design.

The expansion is reflected across all levels of the road network. National highways in the state have grown from 3,629 km in 2005 to over 6,147 km. State highways have expanded from 2,382 km to 3,638 km, and major district roads have nearly doubled in length from 8,457 km to 16,296 km.

But it’s not just about length. The state has also shifted dramatically from single-lane routes to multi-lane corridors. The length of single-lane national highways has shrunk from 764 km to 186 km, while two-lane stretches have grown from 1,208 km to over 3,278 km. Four- and six-lane roads now account for 1,704 km, signaling a decisive move toward high-capacity travel routes. A similar pattern is observed in state and district highways, with a marked decrease in single-lane roads and a surge in wider, faster alternatives.

Crucially, Bihar, which had no expressways before 2005, is now undertaking five major expressway projects. These include the Raxaul-Haldia Expressway (408 km), Gorakhpur-Siliguri (417 km), Patna-Purnia (250 km), Buxar-Bhagalpur (300 km), and the Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway (161 km). These mega-corridors are expected to redefine intra- and inter-state connectivity and catalyse economic growth.

Looking ahead, the state government has announced a new target: by 2027, residents should be able to travel to Patna from any part of Bihar within three and a half hours. This follows the successful implementation of the five-hour connectivity target in earlier phases of development.