Patna: Construction of the long-delayed 4.56 km long six-lane bridge on the river Ganga, parallel the Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge (JP Setu), is set to begin soon as the Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday has approved the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) to build it at the cost of ₹3,064.45 crore.
Soon after the public investment board (PIB) clearance early this year, the MoRTH had floated the tender on January 31, 2023 to hire reputed construction company, but deadline for the bid submission was extended for want of the cabinet approval. As per the cabinet note, the work is targeted to complete in 42 months from the date of appointment of the construction firm.
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A senior officer of the MoRTH said that bridge, the second six-lane bridge on river Ganga after the under construction Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur bride, will be constructed in the extra-dosed cable bridge. It will be located about 180 metre west from the JP Setu and constructed in the engineering procurement construction (EPC) mode with one of its flank connecting Patna with NH-19 (Chapra-Hajipur) and NH-139W (Patna-Areraj-Bettiah).
The bridge up on construction is expected to ensure faster communication and better connectivity between the north and south ports of Bihar and will promote the socio-economic growth of the entire region.
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Briefing mediapersons in New Delhi about cabinet decisions, Union minister Anurag Thakur said that Bihar was, is and will remain a priority for the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Bihar has great potential and PM Modi has always given various big projects for the development of the state. Bihar was, is and will remain a priority for the Modi government,” Thakur said.
The bridge is expected to reduce the traffic load on the reconstructed four-lane Mahatma Gandhi (MG) setu on river Ganga as the JP Setu, which is two-lane bridge, is open for the light vehicles only. MG setu remains the only dependable communication link between North and South Bihar for heavy vehicles.
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This bridge will provide direct connectivity from Patna to the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor via NH-139 at Aurangabad and Sonepur (NH-31), Chhapra, Motihari (East-West corridor old NH-27), Bettiah (NH-727) in the northern side of Bihar. This Project is a part of the Buddha circuit. It provides better connectivity to the Buddha Stupa at Vaishali and Keshariya. Also, NH-139W provides connectivity to the very famous Areraj Someshwar Nath Temple and the proposed Viraat Ramayan Mandir (the largest religious monument in the world) at Kesariya in the East Champaran District.
