Centre gives nod to build NH on Bakarpur-Manikpur stretch in Bihar

All Indian Institute Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, will have smooth road connectivity from north-western areas of Bihar in the next few years

All Indian Institute Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, will have smooth road connectivity from north-western areas of Bihar in the next few years. The Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has given its clearance to build a four-lane national highway on a 33-km stretch from Bakarpur (in Saran) to Manikpur (in Muzaffarpur district).

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The National highways authority of India (NHAI) has already embarked on the task to develop the existing 104km stretch of the state highway between Manikpur to Areraj in East Champaran into a four-lane and begun the land acquisition process. The road is being strengthened under Bharatmala Pariyojna of the Central government, which will connect many religious places of importance.

Additional chief secretary, road construction department (RCD), Amrit Lal Meena said that the MoRTH had on Saturday asked the district magistrates of Saran and Vaishali to launch the land acquisition in their respective jurisdiction so that the work on the fresh stretch of the NH could start at the earliest.

Once the four-lane road is ready, it would become a matter of barely two-three hours to reach Patna and AIIMS from any corner of north-western towns of the state. The NHAI has allocated nearly ₹600 crore to acquire land and build the road with one reinforced concrete cement (RCC) bridge on the river Gandak.

The NHAI has already started the land acquisition in East Champaran and Muzaffarpur districts to widen around 104km-road from Mankipur to Areraj via Sahebganj, which will later connect to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and Kathmandu in Nepal. The NHAI has earmarked a sum of ₹1,500 crore to develop Manikpur-Areraj stretch into four-lane.

Officials of the RCD said that the state government had already built a four-lane road from Bakarpur to JP Setu in Saran. “The JP setu on river Ganga is connected with a four-lane elevated road that terminates on the NH 138 near Patna AIIMS. NH138 connects Palamu district in Jharkhand with Pali in Patna. Those coming from north Bihar through the upcoming NH would have the liberty to connect other many NHs to go to UP, North East districts and Jharkhand,” said an executive engineer.