The Centre has approved a Rs 3,936.05-crore project to widen a 143.53-km stretch of NH-31 and NH-231 to four lanes. The upgrade is expected to cut travel time on the corridor to about two hours while easing congestion across several districts.
The project covers the Khagaria-Purnea section, a busy route connecting commercial centres, transport hubs and agricultural regions. Officials expect the wider highway to improve freight movement, enhance road safety and reduce vehicle operating costs.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the project under the Build-Operate-Transfer (Toll) model.
Congested stretches to get wider roads, new bypass
The corridor passes through Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnia districts, where traffic bottlenecks, sharp curves and built-up stretches often slow movement.
As part of the project, a 6.729-km greenfield bypass will be built around Purnea city to divert through traffic and reduce pressure on urban roads.
Officials said the project aims to:
- Improve average travel speeds
- Reduce journey time across the corridor
- Enhance road safety
- Lower fuel consumption
- Reduce vehicle operating costs
The upgraded route forms part of the Patna-Purnea corridor and is expected to strengthen regional connectivity across Bihar.
| Project Snapshot | Details |
|---|---|
| Corridor | Patna-Purnea |
| Length | 143.529 km |
| Total Cost | Rs 3,936.05 crore |
| Civil Cost | Rs 2,467.77 crore |
| Land Acquisition Cost | Rs 290.16 crore |
| Mode | BOT (Toll) |
| Purnea Bypass | 6.729 km |
Corridor to connect economic and logistics hubs
The project will improve access to several economic and transport nodes across Bihar.
The upgraded corridor will connect five PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including a textile cluster, two mega food parks and two fishing and seafood parks.
It will also strengthen links to major transport infrastructure, including Purnea Airport and four major railway stations at Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnia.
The highway will integrate with key road networks, including NH-27, NH-13, NH-131A and NH-231, along with State Highways 95 and 77.
Major towns connected by the corridor include Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnia, improving movement of passengers and goods between northern and eastern Bihar.
According to official estimates, the project could generate 32.59 lakh person-days of direct employment and 40.55 lakh person-days of indirect employment during construction.