Bihar

• 21 Jan 2022

Patna-Kolkata Expressway

Why in News

• Recently, Bihar Road Construction Minister Nitin Naveen told that a plan is being started for the construction of Patna-Kolkata Expressway for better connectivity between Bihar and Bengal. Patna to Kolkata Expressway will be the first road in Bihar to be edge restricted.

Key Points

• Minister Nitin Naveen said that with the construction of Patna-Kolkata Expressway, the total journey of 550 kms from Bihar to Bengal will become easy. This road will be similar to Purvanchal Expressway of Uttar Pradesh. The government is going to start work for this very soon.
• With its construction, connectivity of Northeast India with the rest of India will be strengthened. Five districts of Bihar are involved in this project with an estimated cost of more than 18 thousand crore rupees.
• The Patna-Kolkata Expressway will proceed from Dhalkuni via Patna (Bakhtiarpur), Nalanda (Biharsharif), Sheikhpura, Jamui (Sikandra and Chakai), Katoria of Banka, Madhupur, Durgapur and Panagarh. Bihar Sharif will directly enter Devipur of Deoghar district in Jharkhand from Sikdara, Chakai.
• At Devipur, this expressway will proceed towards Madhupur connecting the proposed four-lane road connecting AIIMS. This will increase the connectivity of Deoghar with Bihar and Bengal.
• Under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-II, this greenfield expressway will serve as an alternative to the old congested National Highway NH-2. With its completion, the doors of development will also open.