NHAI set to launch four-laning work soon

› The NHAI has earmarked Rs 806 crore to build the second phase road. Work on this stretch would start in next 4 months, as it required land for strengthening.

PATNA: The state’s hope for smooth traffic on BakhtiyarpurRajauli stretch of the national highway (NH-30) received a boost as the NHAI floated a tender for construction of four-lane road on one of its three packages — from Hardiya to Kharat in Nawada district — on Wednesday.

The 47-km stretch of Hardiya to Kharat is the second phase of the 107 km long road from Rajauli, abutting Jharkhand boarder, to Bakhtiyapur in Patna district. “The NHAI has earmarked Rs 806 crore to build the second phase road. Work on this stretch would start in the next four months, as it had required land for strengthening,” said road construction department (RCD) minister Nand Kishore Yadav.

Bakhtiyapur to Rajauli stretch, currently a two-lane thoroughfare, is one of the busiest roads of Bihar that connects

NAND KISHORE YADAV, RCD Minister

southern states like Jharkhand via Patna. “Four-laning of the road was pending with NHAI for the past many years, even though the state government had settled the land acquisition issues,” said a senior officer of the RCD.

The road has been divided into three packages to make it financially feasible for the contractors to build it.

The other packages are Dibour to Hardiya and from Kharat to Bakhtiyarpur.

“Tenders for building the residual packages would be issued soon so that the four-lane road could be opened for traffic in the next four-years,” said the officer.

The minister said that an elevated road had been proposed in the Bihar Sharif town stretch of the NH 31, which usually faces congestion due to the mix of local urban traffic. “Once the road is built, the distance between Patna and Ranchi would be a matter of four-five hours,” said the minister.