The construction of a 120 km-long, four-lane greenfield and brownfield corridor from Patna to Sasaram in Bihar has been approved by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA), at an expected cost of Rs 3,712.40 crore, a government statement said on March 28.
The four-lane, access-controlled Patna-Arrah-Sasaram corridor, also known as NH-119A, will be developed on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
"Currently, connectivity between Sasaram, Arrah and Patna relies on existing State Highways and takes 3-4 hours due to heavy congestion including in Arrah town. A greenfield corridor, along with 10.6 km of upgradation of existing brownfield highway, will be developed to reduce the increasing congestion, catering to the needs of densely built-up areas in places like Arrah, Grahini, Piro, Bikramganj, Mokar and Sasaram," the statement said.
The corridor is expected to improve the connectivity between Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, and Varanasi after completion, and will also generate 48 lakh man days worth of employment. The corridor is also expected open up news avenues of growth and development for the emerging regions in and around Patna, the statement said.
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The said project will also provide connectivity to the two airports as well, the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna, and the upcoming Bihita airport, along with four major railway stations in Sasaram, Arrah, Danapur and Patna. The improved corridor will also provide better transport to the inland water terminal in Patna and improved direct access to the Patna Ring Road.
The total land acquisition cost for the project is projected at Rs 718.97 crore.
