Patna-Purnia Expressway Approved : Greenfield Route to Reduce Travel to 3 Hours
The Bihar government has finally approved the construction of the Patna-Purnia Expressway. It will be a six-lane greenfield project that will pass through 6 districts of Bihar. It will further reduce the travel time to just 3 hours.
We have covered everything about the Patna-Purnia Expressway in this article including full route details, total bridges and ROBs that will be constructed as a part of this greenfield project, approval status, funding, and district-wise land acquisition updates. Feel free to use the Table of Contents given below to navigate to your preferred section:
Table of Contents
Project Officially Approved by Bihar Govt
The Patna-Purnia Expressway has been officially approved by the Bihar government. This happened in a high-level meeting which was chaired by Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena. The meeting had officials from both the state and central governments. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had asked the Bihar government to approve the project before starting the tender process. This Expressway is a part of the Bharatmala Phase-II program. It will be built under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
Central Government Approval Needed
The total cost of the project is expected to be higher than ₹500 crore. Therefore, the approval through the central National Planning Group (NPG) is needed. The Bihar government has signed it, next, NPG will forward the proposal to the Ministry of Finance. The PPP Appraisal Committee is expected to approve the proposal by the next 15 days. After approval, tender will be issued. The construction is expected to start by the end of this year itself.
Patna-Purnia Expressway Funding
The Patna-Purnia Expressway is being funded in Public–Private Partnership format. The central government will bear 40% of the cost whereas the construction company will bear 60% of the cost. To recover the cost, the contactor is given the permission to setup toll booths on the expressway. The same contactor will be responsible for the maintenance of the expressway for 15 years after completion.
Components : 100+ bridges, 11 ROBs
The Patna-Purnia Expressway will span 282 kilometres. It contains major infrastructural components like :
- 20 major bridges
- 130 minor bridges
- 11 railway overbridges (ROBs)
- 19 interchanges
- 309 vehicular underpasses (VUPs)
The above-mentioned structures will have to be constructed to make the expressway a reality. Further, it will ease the traffic and rush on the local routes as well. So, all the districts which come within the route of the expressway will see better mobility.
Patna-Purnia Expressway Route Through 6 Districts
The expressway will start from Meernagar Arazi village near Sarai Toll Plaza (Vaishali district). Then it will pass through Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, and Madhepura. Finally, it will end at Hansadah village in Purnia which is close to National Highway-27. Its route was finalized in January. Currently, travelling from Patna to Purnia takes around 7-8 hours but the Patna-Purnia Expressway will reduce the travel time to just 3 hours.
Airports and Expressway Connectivity
The Patna-Purnia Expressway will be connected to the given strategic locations for maximum efficiency :
- It will be connected to Bihta Airport via a bridge between Dighwara and Sherpur
- The northern part of the expressway will connect it to Darbhanga and Purnia airports
- A part of the Patna Ring Road project at Dighwara, will help in connectivity
Now, travellers from Purnia will be able to reach Delhi in just 15 hours via Sarai, Dighwara, and the Purvanchal Expressway.
Land Acquisition & Valuation
For the Patna-Purnia Expressway, a total of 3,381 hectares os land will have to be acquired across the six districts. A 100-meter-wide corridor has been already selected for the project. The district authorities were directed to review and revise the land valuations properly by the Revenue and Land Reforms Department of Bihar government. The re-evaluation was important so that the farmers and land owners get fair compensation for their land as per the market rate.
Conclusion
The Patna-Purnia Expressway is expected to become the economic lifeline for the area. The districts like Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, and Madhepura will benefit the most from this project. The distance between Patna and Purnia will be reduced to just 3 hours. Recently, Bihar government approved 223 ROBs in order to make Patna accessible to every part of Bihar in just 3 hours. You must read the detailed report to get a whole idea of what exact roadmap will be followed. You can access the report it here.
If you’re interested in more developmental news from Purnia, you need to know about the Purnia Airport which will become operational by August 2025. You can check out our full coverage here.
I’m a final-year engineering student with a deep interest in current affairs, politics, and international issues. Writing news is my part-time passion, where I focus on sharing credible and well-researched stories. Every article I publish is backed by verified sources and multiple levels of fact-checking to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness.
