Bihar will have road network like America by 2024: Gadkari

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said Patna would have double-decker bridges in the near future as being constructed in other metropolitan cities.

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said Patna would have double-decker bridges in the near future as being constructed in other metropolitan cities.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during the inauguration of the eastern flank of the Mahatma Gandhi setu in Hajipur on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

“I also promise Bihar will have a road network like America by 2024,” the minister said while addressing an event in Hajipur after inaugurating the eastern flank of renovated Mahatma Gandhi Setu and also laying the foundation stone/completion of road and bridge projects in Bihar worth ₹13,585 crore.

Mahatma Gandhi Setu, built over river Ganga in early 1980s, is a major lifeline for Bihar, connecting the northern part of the state to capital Patna.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar was also present on the occasion, along with union minsters from the state and state government ministers.

The major projects inaugurated today included Chapra to Gopalganj two-lane road built at a cost of ₹1,192 crore.

Among the major road projects for which foundation stone was laid are — Munger-Bhaglpur-Mirzapur four-lane new greenfield corridor, Aurangabad to Chordhaha (Jharkhand border) six-lane road, Begusarai town four-lane elevated flyover and AIIMS-Patna to Naubatpur two-lane road.

Referring to renovated Mahatma Gandhi Setu, the minister said it is India’s longest steel bridge and would help in faster communication between north and south Bihar. “Even I had got stuck in jams earlier on the bridge,” he recollected.

An amount of ₹1,742 crore had been spent on replacement of the superstructure of the bridge, work on which had started a few years back.

In his address, chief minister Nitish Kumar thanked the union transport minister for several mega projects and while highlighting how his government, after coming to power in November 2005, had taken up the responsibility of transforming state roads by setting the target of commuting from the farthest district Kishanganj to Patna within six hours. “ Now, we have set the target of five hours from Kishnaganj to Patna,” he said.

Among the other prominent speakers were union ministers Pashupati Kumar Paras, Ashwinin Choubey, Giriraj Singh and Nityanand Rai as well as several state ministers like deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad, deputy CM Renu Devi and Patna MP Ravi Shankar Prasad.