New Delhi: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Khagaria-Purnea highway upgrade in Bihar, clearing a Rs. 3,936.05 crore project to widen sections of NH-31 and NH-231 to four-lane standards.
The project will cover 143.529 kilometres between Khagaria and Purnea under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model. Officials said the upgrade would address sharp curves, geometric deficiencies and traffic congestion across Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnia districts.
Authorities will also construct a 6.729-kilometre Greenfield bypass around Purnea city. The bypass is expected to ease urban congestion and improve traffic flow on the corridor.
According to the government, the upgraded highway will reduce travel time between key destinations to about two hours. It will also improve road safety, lower vehicle operating costs and enhance fuel efficiency.
The corridor will strengthen connectivity between major economic and transport hubs across Bihar. Furthermore, it will support regional development by improving passenger and freight movement.
Khagaria-Purnea highway upgrade boosts regional connectivity
The project will connect several important transport nodes, including Purnea Airport and major railway stations at Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnia.
In addition, the corridor will link with five PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including one textile cluster, two mega food parks and two fishing seafood parks. It will also connect with 11 logistics nodes comprising railway stations, highways and state highways.
Officials said the highway will integrate with NH-27, NH-13, NH-131A and NH-231, along with SH-95 and SH-77. As a result, goods and passenger traffic will move more efficiently across eastern Bihar.
The government estimates the project will generate about 32.59 lakh person-days of direct employment and 40.55 lakh person-days of indirect employment during construction and related activities.
