230 km Amas-Darbhanga Greenfield Expressway By NHAI: 4 Firms Bid For Construction Of Bihar's First Expressway Project

4 construction firms (Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd, PNC Infratech Ltd, Ram Kripal Singh Construction Pvt. Ltd and Vishwa Samudra Engineering Pvt. Ltd) have submitted a total of 7 bids to construct first two packages of the 230 km Amas – Darbhanga Expressway , infrastructure portal The Metro Rail reported.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government and Union government is planning network of expressways to improving the connectivity of the state

The state’s road construction department, headed by the BJP’s Nitin Nabin, has embarked on the ambitious task of construction of three expressways that will connect major parts of the state and also provide a vital link to Kolkata.

The Union Government has already approved the Amas to Darbhanga (via Patna) expressway. “Land acquisition for this eight-lane expressway has already started and we will start construction from April next year,” Nabin told Swarajya in November last year.

The expressway, to be constructed by NHAI, will largely be a green field alignment, access controlled and comprise of 6 lanes. The main objective of the proposed project is to reduce the distance and travel time from NH- 2 to NH-57 and North-Bihar to South Bihar and to give connectivity to remote areas and major cities.

The Amas-Darbhanga expressway has a largely north-south alignment and will connect Amas in south Bihar near the border with Jharkhand with Darbhanga in north Bihar. The expressway, upon completion, will link the outskirts of Aurangabad – Gaya – Patna – Darbhanga, and use portions of the under construction Patna Outer Ring Road and 9.75 km Kachchi Dargah – Bidupur Bridge projects.

NHAI invited tenders for the construction of package 1 (55 km connecting Amas and Shivrampur at an estimated cost of Rs. 996.70 crore) and package 2 (another 55 km package connecting Shivrampur and Ramnagar at an estimated cost of Rs. 1004.98 crore ) of the proposed expressway in October 2021 with a 2 year deadline. Technical bids were opened on Friday (Feb 11).

While Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd, Ram Kripal Singh Construction Pvt. Ltd and Vishwa Samudra Engineering Pvt. Ltd placed bids for both the packages, PNC Infratech Ltd bid for only package 1.

The proposed expressway is expected to serve as the prime artery for the economic flow to this region. According to NHAI and state road department, the expressway is expected to enhance economic development, provide employment opportunities to locals, strengthen tourist development, ensure road safety, and provide better transportation facilities and other facilities such as way side amenities. Vehicle operating cost will also be reduced due to improved road quality. The compensatory plantation and road side plantation shall further improve the air quality of the region

“This expressway will boost movement of agricultural produce from north to south Bihar and give a fillip to trade in many other commodities. Since this expressway will touch Patna, transportation of horticultural produce meant for exports through Patna airport will become much easier. Also, agricultural produce and other products will gain easy market access to Patna. We have plans to set up manufacturing hubs in some areas that this xpressway will pass through,” a senior officer of the state industries and commerce department told Swarajya from Patna.

Approval for another expressway from Raxaul to Kolkata via Patna (see this map) is pending before the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bihar government is also seek the MoRTH’s approval for the third expressway from Buxar to Bhagalpur (see this map)

Also Read: How Bihar Plans To Build Over 1,300 KMs Of Expressways In Four Years