Entire new Koilwar bridge thrown open, Gadkari promises more for Bihar

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday inaugurated the three-lane downstream lane of Koilwar bridge over Sone river in Bihar virtually from New Delhi and said the much-awaited four-lane road from Bhojpur to Buxar will be completed by October 2022

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday inaugurated the three-lane downstream lane of Koilwar bridge over Sone river in Bihar virtually from New Delhi and said the much-awaited four-lane road from Bhojpur to Buxar will be completed by October 2022.

The downstream flank of the new Koilwar bridge over Sone river was inaugurated on Saturday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

The bridge, which connects Ara with state capital Patna, has been constructed at a cost of ₹266 crore. The upstream lane of the bridge was inaugurated in 2020.

The minister also announced that the construction work of 23.5-km-long Bihta-Danapur elevated road will start soon and it will cost ₹4,500 crore.

Union minister for power and Lok Sabha MP from Ara, R K Singh, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said tender will be floated in 15-20 days for the elevated road to be made in between Bihta to Danapur.

Union minister of state for environment and forest, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, demanded that the new bridge being made over river Ganga between Buxar and Ballia districts be named after great freedom fighter Mangal Pandey and the four-lane road in between Patna and Buxar after Maharshee Vishwamitra.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar did not attend the programme. He was said to be away in his native village for the death anniversary of his wife.