Patna: Bihar has received approval for 32 road projects spanning 2,424km at an estimated cost of Rs 1.64 lakh crore under the annual work plan for 2026-27. The projects include new highways, widening and strengthening of existing roads, bypasses and rail overbridges (ROBs), aimed at improving connectivity across the state.The approvals were granted at a meeting chaired by Union road transport and highways ministry secretary V Umashankar in New Delhi on Friday. Bihar road construction department secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal and senior officials of the ministry, NHAI and the state department attended the meeting.Of the approved projects, 18 are under the national highway division of the state road construction department, covering around 739km at an estimated cost of Rs 24,940 crore. The remaining 14 projects, under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), span around 1,685km and involve an estimated investment of Rs 1,39,578 crore.The state department’s projects include widening and strengthening of NH-333A, Darbhanga-Jaynagar highway and the Bariyarpur-Bishunpur and Sitamarhi-Chirauth stretches. Several bypasses, including those at Jaynagar, Samastipur, Singheswar, Madhepura and Dumraon, have also been approved. The Jaynagar project includes north and south bypasses and a new bridge over the Kamla river.Four-laning of the Vikramshila approach, Masrakh-Chakia-Bhitaha Mor, Chhapwa-Bettiah and Naubatpur-Arwal-Aurangabad-Hariharganj stretches are also part of the plan. ROBs on NH-120 and NH-727 have been included.NHAI’s major projects include the Gorakhpur-Kishanganj-Siliguri, Raxaul-Haldia, Buxar-Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur-Barauni and Chhapra-Rewaghat-Muzaffarpur corridors, besides Patna Northern Ring Road.Pal said the projects would strengthen transport infrastructure and improve connectivity between major cities and economic centres. Their implementation would accelerate Bihar’s economic growth, expand industrial corridors and make travel safer and smoother, he added.
