It has been confirmed that the project will involve upgrading the existing road into a four-lane highway, as opposed to a greenfield development. The Request for Proposal (RFP) specifies that the primary objective is to enhance the current road into a four-lane highway with paved shoulders.
The invitation to bid refers to the proposed highway between Buxar and Bhagalpur as a high-speed corridor or expressway. The estimated length for the DPR development is approximately 240 kilometres. The agency selected for the task will have 270 days to complete the DPR, with the expected completion by the end of 2026.
The current average road length between Buxar and Bhagalpur is about 375 kilometres. Earlier proposals had estimated the expressway’s length at around 360 kilometres. The latest tender suggests that only part of the existing road will be developed, possibly excluding the Buxar-Patna stretch.
The Buxar–Koilwar–Bihta section was recently upgraded to a four-lane highway, although not as an access-controlled expressway. The elevated four-lane highway from Bihta to Patna is already under construction. If the government agrees to develop the entire stretch as an expressway, land acquisition will be necessary. The standard width for an expressway is 90 meters.
The tender, published on April 22, allows interested agencies to submit proposals until June 16. The agency selection is expected to be made before the Bihar Assembly elections. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will oversee the project’s implementation.
The tender notice indicates that several existing National Highway (NH) sections between Buxar and Bhagalpur will be combined and renamed. This includes NH 922 from Buxar to Patna, NH 31 from Patna to Munger, and NH 33 from Munger to Bhagalpur. These roads are already four-lanes, except for a 78.5-kilometer stretch of NH 31 from Mokama to Munger.
News source: English Jagran
