Patna-Purnia Expressway: Bihar’s 1st Intra-State Road Approved for NE Status
The Patna-Purnia Expressway has been granted national expressway status by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways officially now. It will come under National Expressway-9 (NE-9). It is Bihar’s first inter-state road (that lies within the boundaries of the state) to get this status. Moreover, it connects Purnia to Patna in just three hours. Currently, the existing routes take around 7 hours for the same route.
We have covered everything about the Patna-Purnia Expressway in this article including the national expressway status approval, project investment details, funding model key features of the expressway, route map etc. You can use the following Table of Contents to explore the sections as per your interest:
Table of Contents
National Status for Patna-Purnia Expressway
The main update is that the Patna-Purnia Expressway has been declared as a national expressway. Due to this, it will gain central recognition and funding. The Union Ministry has numbered it NE-9. This way Bihar makes its way to the map of India’s growing expressway network. Now, with the NE Status, the Patna-Purnia Expressway will be constructed with higher standards and proper maintenance.
Bihar’s First Intra-State Expressway
Unlike other expressways that pass through Bihar or connect Bihar to its neighbouring states, the Patna-Purnia Expressway is quite unique. It’s different in the sense that it is fully intra-state (which means it runs within the boundaries of the state itself). It will start from Patna and cover Vaishali, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, and Madhepura before reaching Purnia. This is very important as it connects large parts of North and East Bihar to the capital.
Massive Investment and Funding Model
The Patna-Purnia Expressway is will be constructed with the estimated cost of ₹18,000 crore. It will be built under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Under this model, the 60% of the expenditure will be handled by the private construction agency, and the rest 40% will be covered by our central government. In return, the agency will collect toll tax and maintain the expressway for 15 years. This public-private model will ensure that the project remains financially sustainable and reduces the direct burden on the government.
Key Features of the Project
The Patna-Purnia expressway will be a six-lane greenfield corridor. It will be 90 meters wide. As per the present plan, the expressway will include 21 big bridges, 140 smaller bridges, 11 rail overbridges, 21 interchanges, and 322 underpasses. Government officials have identified around 1,800 hectares land for the project. Also, land acquisition processes have been initiated in different districts. The acquisition process is expected to be completed within the next 100 days.
The Patna-Purnia Expressway is well connected with airports and major roads coming in it’s route. For instance, at the Patna side, it will start close to the JP Setu (NH-22). Then it will connect to Darbhanga and Saharsa, and finally terminate near Hansdah at NH-27 close to Purnia. It will be linked to Bihta airport as well through a new bridge between Dighwara and Sherpur.
Conclusion
The Patna-Purnia Expressway will be constructed in three phases. If the land acquisition is done on time, the first phase might be completed by the end of this year itself. This is great news for Bihar as the national expressway will now gain recognition, large-scale funding and better execution. Let’s hope for the best. Such big investments are important for a state like Bihar that has been always neglected by the Centre. And especially for the northern region of Bihar that stays at high alert due to flood-prone conditions.
If you want more details on the Patna-Purnia Expressway, read our previous article on the same topic 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.
