ROAD CONSTRUCTION MINISTER DEMANDS REPORT ON PROGRESS OF DANAPUR-BIHTA ELEVATED ROAD

ROAD CONSTRUCTION MINISTER DEMANDS REPORT ON PROGRESS OF DANAPUR-BIHTA ELEVATED ROAD

9-JUNE-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA------------------------Orders have been issued to accelerate ongoing road and bridge construction projects in Bihar. Road Construction Minister Engineer Shailendra stated that projects currently in their final phase must be completed within the stipulated timeframe without fail.

He directed officials to ensure that obstacles such as land acquisition issues are resolved by coordinating with the local administration. The Minister emphasized that high-quality standards must be maintained during the construction of roads and bridges, and no negligence would be tolerated.

The review revealed that the four-lane Danapur-Bihta elevated road project (25.08 km) in Patna district has achieved 58.3% physical progress so far. Regarding the work between Munger and Mirzachauki, 93% of the work on Package-2 (Khaira-Bhagalpur Bypass) and 93.6% on Package-4 (Rasalpur-Mirzachauki) has been completed; the target is to finish these by July 2026.

Additionally, under the Chhapra-Patna-Bakhtiyarpur-Purnia corridor, the Patna-Bakhtiyarpur, Bakhtiyarpur-Mokama, and Aunta-Simariya (including the six-lane bridge over the Ganga River) sections have been completed. Work on the 4.2 km long elevated corridor in Begusarai city is 96% complete, with a target completion date of August 2026. Meanwhile, under the Patna-Bettiah corridor, 42.25% of the work on the Bakapur-Manikpur section and 21.54% on the Manikpur-Sahibganj section has been completed.

While reviewing projects such as the new four-lane bridge parallel to the Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Ganga, the Digha-Sonpur bridge, the new parallel Vikramshila Setu, and the Kosi-Phulaut Mahasetu, the Road Construction Minister directed that the remaining work be expedited. The meeting revealed the physical progress of several major projects: Mahatma Gandhi Setu (73%), Digha-Sonpur (14.55%), Vikramshila Setu (50.15%), and Kosi-Phulaut Mahasetu (94.4%); work on these is proceeding rapidly.

The Road Construction Minister directed that action be taken against agencies responsible for projects lagging behind their scheduled deadlines. Instructions were issued to increase manpower and ensure continuous monitoring of construction activities to expedite project completion. The Minister also proposed installing solar-powered cameras at bridge construction sites to enable monitoring from the headquarters level.