Patna: Two important national highway projects have been proposed to improve road connectivity in Bihar. These include four-laning of Muzaffarpur-Barauni NH-122, construction of the Muzaffarpur Eastern Bypass and four-laning of NH-139 from Naubatpur to the Jharkhand border. Once approved, the projects are expected to make travel from north Bihar to south Bihar and Jharkhand easier. Road construction minister E Kumar Shailendra has sought approval for the projects from Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari.A plan has been prepared to four-lane around 102km of Muzaffarpur-Barauni NH-122. The DPR (detailed project report) has been prepared and sent to NHAI headquarters. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 3,200 crore.Along with widening the road, underpasses at several locations have also been proposed. The tender process is expected to begin after final approval of the DPR.According to official sources, “Construction of the Muzaffarpur Eastern Bypass is also a key part of the plan. Once built, the bypass will reduce pressure from heavy vehicles passing through the city. This is expected to ease traffic jams and improve traffic management in the city. The Eastern Bypass will also strengthen direct connectivity with the east-west corridor of NH-27.”Meanwhile, four-laning of NH-139 from Naubatpur to the Jharkhand border has been proposed. The route connects Patna to the Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata corridor via Aurangabad. With heavy traffic and road accidents increasing on the route, there has been a long-standing demand for its widening. Four-laning is expected to improve traffic management on the stretch.Once both projects are approved and completed, Bihar’s road network is expected to become stronger. The projects are also expected to ease travel between North Bihar, South Bihar and Jharkhand and provide relief to passengers and freight transport.
