Japan to fund National Highways in Bihar

Patna- Come 2015, driving along National Highway (NH)-82 and NH-83 would be a memorable experience. Reason: they would have four lanes then.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would fund four-laning of 127km stretch Patna-Punpun-Masaurhi-Jehanabad-Gaya-Dobhi road (NH-83) and 95km stretch of Gaya-Hisua-Rajgir-Nalanda-Biharsharif road (NH-82). Established as an independent administrative institution, JICA aims to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation. It also provides financial assistance for socio-economic development in developing regions.

While the four-laning of the Gaya-Biharsharif road would be done at a cost of Rs 1640.618 crore, that of Patna-Dobhi road would be done at a cost of Rs 2503.202 crore.

“JICA would provide financial assistance of Rs 1,229 crore for widening of NH-82 and Rs 1,286 crore for widening of NH 83,” road construction department minister Nand Kishore Yadav told The Telegraph today. The Centre would provide the rest of the funds.

Yadav said the tripartite loan agreement, in which the Centre would be a party, with JICA would be signed in 2011. The work on this ambitious project, which would provide better connectivity to places important for Buddhist tourists, would start.

The four-laning of both these roads would be completed in around four years. “While Bihar State Road Development Corporation would undertake the road widening work on NH-82, the work on NH-83 would be done by the National Highways Authority of India,” said the minister.

Sharing his department’s plan to provide the best possible connectivity to places located on Buddhist tourist circuit, Yadav said: “The department is working on a plan for setting up state highways for connecting Samastipur district with Vaishali. A state highway connecting Vaishali with Kesaria, an important destination on the Buddhist tourism circuit, is under construction.”

The plan assumes significance as a new bridge is coming up across river Ganga. It would connect Bakhtiyarpur with Tajpur in Samastipur district.

The project entails construction of a 5.575-km-long bridge as well as construction of 45.343 km-long approach road on both sides of the bridge. Hyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL) has committed to invest over Rs 900 crore for constructing a bridge.