Patna, Sept. 7: The government has decided to build three pontoon bridges to provide better connectivity in the state and slash travel time.

Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited will construct three such structures in Patna, Madhubani and Buxar districts. The road construction department has sanctioned Rs 26 crore for the project.

Road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav said: “In Patna, the pontoon bridge will be constructed from Gyaspur village to Kala diara village in Bakhtiyarpur block in which 30 sets of pontoons would be used. Rs 8.10 crore would be spent on the construction of the bridge in Patna district.”

In Madhubani, the bridge would be constructed over the Kamla at Rs 2.66 crore with eight sets of pontoon. Yadav said the pontoon bridge in Brahmpur block of Buxar would cut down the distance from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar and vice-versa. It would be constructed at Rs 15.62 crore.

“The pontoon bridge from Bihar Ghat to Uttari diara at Nainjor panchayat in Buxar will reduce distance between Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) and Buxar. At present, people from Brahmpur and Chakki block travel to Ballia via Buxar, which is 75km by road. After the bridge comes up, the distance would come down to 5km between Ballia and Nainjor,” said the minister.