Patna: Nehru Path, commonly known as Bailey Road in Patna, is set for a major expansion as the stretch from Rupaspur to Saguna Mor will be widened to 14 lanes. The existing six-lane carriageway will be expanded through the construction of box drains on both sides, along with the addition of two service lanes on each side. Work on the box drains has recently commenced.The 2.7-km project is estimated to cost Rs 318 crore and has been targeted for completion by Dec. The expansion has been necessitated by rapid urban growth in the area, where the population has increased tenfold over the past decade, resulting in severe traffic congestion. The project is being executed by the road construction department (RCD).According to an RCD official, “Nehru Path, from Saguna Mor to Income-Tax Golambar, became a traffic signal-free zone. After the Lohia Path Chakra Project was completed, the 10-km stretch of road was made traffic signal-free. However, traffic jams occur beyond the Rupaspur railway overbridge (RoB) at Gola Road Mor, RPS Mor to Saguna Mor. After widening the Nehru Path from Rupaspur Bridge to Saguna Mor, smooth traffic flow will be available from Dakbungla Roundabout to Danapur.”Hundreds of new colonies have developed along both sides of Nehru Path, from Rupaspur to Saguna Mor, over the past two decades. Numerous residential apartment complexes have come up on both sides, along with shopping complexes and retail outlets. Several marriage halls have also opened in the area, contributing to traffic congestion during peak hours. Taking these factors into account, the project was announced by CM Nitish Kumar during his ‘Pragati Yatra’ in Feb last year.Executive engineer (west) of RCD, Shashi Bhushan Sahay, said, “Currently, the construction work on the box drains is being done at four places on both sides, at Saguna Mor and the Rupaspur side. At first, the base is being built for the drains, then walls will be constructed, and later the drain will be covered with slabs. It is a drain-cum-road project, where the road will be built on the drain, like the Ashiana Nagar-Digha Road.”Sahay added that at present Nehru Path, from Rupaspur to Saguna Mor, is 10-lane, comprising a six-lane main carriageway and two-lane service roads on either side. After completion of the project, the road will be expanded to 14 lanes.
