Bihar's Largest Bridge to be Built on Gandak River, Easing Travel to Nepal and UP; Centre Approves Project

Connectivity in Bihar is set to gain new momentum. The central government has given financial approval to a mega bridge project that has been awaited for many years. This bridge, to be built over the Gandak river, will be Bihar's largest bridge. This bridge, connecting Bettiah to Gorakhpur, will make travel to Uttar Pradesh and the Nepal border easier. With this approval, the way has also been cleared for issuing its tender. It will now be sent to the Union Cabinet for final approval.

The bridge will be 12 kilometres long

This bridge, to be built from Bettiah (Manua Pul) in Bihar to Tiwari Patti–Seorahi in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh, will be approximately 12.036 kilometres long. The project also includes the construction of a total of 29 kilometres of road, which will make travel between the two states much faster and smoother than before. According to officials, after the construction of this bridge, the distance between Bihar and UP will be reduced by approximately 35 kilometres. This bridge will not only benefit passengers between the two states but will also provide significant advantages to the trade, agriculture, and tourism sectors. This bridge will serve as an important link on the Gorakhpur–Siliguri route.

Construction will be done at a cost of ₹1976.77 crore

The central government has given financial approval of ₹1976.77 crore for this project. This bridge will be built under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Under this model, the construction agency will bear 60% of the total cost, and the remaining 40% will be borne by the central government. The agency will maintain the bridge for 15 years after its construction. After recovering the cost, the company will hand it over to the government.

PPPAc Committee gave the green signal

This project has been approved by the PPP Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. It will now be sent to the Union Cabinet for final approval. After receiving approval from the Cabinet, the construction process will officially begin.

Land acquisition complete, now the countdown to construction

The land acquisition process required for the project has already been completed. Only technical and formal procedures remain for construction. This ambitious project will be completed through the State Bridge Construction Corporation. The construction period has been set at four years.