New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave the green light for the construction of a 4-lane access-controlled corridor connecting Patna, Arrah, and Sasaram, spanning 120.10 km in Bihar.
Currently, travel between these cities relies on existing state highways, which can take 3-4 hours due to significant traffic congestion, particularly in Arrah. The new greenfield corridor, along with the upgrade of 10.6 km of the existing brownfield highway, aims to alleviate this congestion and address the needs of densely populated areas such as Arrah, Grahini, Piro, Bikramganj, Mokar, and Sasaram, a Cabinet note stated.
This initiative will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) with a total investment of Rs. 3,712.40 crore. The Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) represents a public-private partnership (PPP) framework implemented in India for road infrastructure development. This model integrates elements of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) with Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) mechanisms, aiming to distribute financial risks and enhance the involvement of the private sector.
The project is strategically aligned with major transport routes, including National Highway-19, National Highway-319, National Highway-922, National Highway-131G, and National Highway-120, ensuring smooth connectivity to Aurangabad, Kaimur, and Patna.
It will also enhance access to two airports (Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna and the upcoming Bihita airport), four major railway stations (Sasaram, Arrah, Danapur, and Patna), and one inland water terminal in Patna, thereby facilitating quicker movement of goods and passengers.
Once completed, the Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor is expected to significantly boost regional economic development by improving connectivity to Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, and Varanasi.
This project is in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, aimed at enhancing infrastructure, creating job opportunities, and promoting socio-economic growth in Bihar, with an estimated generation of 48 lakh man-days of employment and new prospects for development and prosperity in developing regions in and around Patna.
– global bihari bureau
