Purvanchal Expressway to enter Bihar, link Patna, Bhagalpur: Minister

NHAI has been asked to submit the possible alignment of the greenfield project along with feasibility to the Bihar’s road construction department for the go-ahead

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will look into the scope of extending the length of Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh from Buxar to Bhagalpur in Bihar, state’s road construction minister Nitin Nabin said on Thursday.

Purvanchal Express in UP. (HT)

Nabin, who met secretary of the union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) Giridhar Aramane in Delhi on Wednesday, told reporters that the work on the project to extend the six-lane Lucknow-Ghazipur Expressway, known as Purvanchal Expressway, up to Bhagalpur in Bihar via Buxar and Patna would start once the NHAI submitted its detailed project report (DPR) after the procedural formalities.

NHAI has been asked to submit the possible alignment of the greenfield project along with feasibility to the Bihar’s road construction department (RCD) for the go-ahead, he said.

Nabin said the ministry had also assured to launch work on nine NHAI road projects, costing ₹12,000 crore, in different parts of Bihar to ease road travel. “The secretary assured is that work on these projects, pending for the many months, would start by June-end,” he said.

The NHAI projects in Bihar, waiting for the commissioning of work on ground, include Danapur-Bihta elevated road (19.38 km), Adanwari-Manikpur (40km), Manikpur-Sahebganj (42.80km), Sahebganj-Areraj (39.64 km), Siwan-Masrakh (51.85 km), Bahadurganj-Kishanganj (23.08km), all four-lane roads, besides Sherpur-Dighwara Ganga bridge (15 km with approach), Chorma-Bargania (37.03 km) and Saharsa-Umagaon (38.54 km). The last two projects are of two lanes.

“Land acquisition process for all these projects are in final stages,” said the minister, adding that the MoRTH has also agreed to expedite the process of execution of two projects, four-laning of Patna-Koilwar section of NH 30 (33.25 km) and development of Rampur-Khajuria-Kesaria (58 km) road, which were included under the PM’s package for Bihar.