Patna, Dec. 26: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today instructed the road construction department to ensure that big road projects are completed on time.

Holding a review meeting of the department, Nitish also stressed on the Mahatma Gandhi Setu and asked the officials to hold talks with the Centre to improve its condition at the earliest.

"The chief minister has asked us to expedite big road projects in a stipulated time frame. Our department has given a PowerPoint presentation in which we have stressed upon the target of reaching Patna from any district in five hours. It was a target set by the chief minister. We explained how we would achieve the target through a master plan. We are doing it gradually in every five years that includes widening the state highway from 3m to 7m," said road construction minister Tejaswi after the review meeting, which lasted for two-and-a-half hours at Samvad.

The road construction department is working upon a Bihar Road Master plan to ascertain the efficacy of the rural road network in the state over a 20-year period. A Netherlands-based consultancy firm, Ecorys, has been chosen to prepare the software for the planning. This particular software would identify and propose the major district roads, which need to be upgraded to state highways to provide better intra-state connectivity.

Tejaswi said the idea of having a master plan for the next 20 years would not only make the state government aware about the condition of the roads but also give a complete picture of the vehicular pressure on major roads.

As things stands now, there are 4,580km of National Highway, 4,227km of state highways and 10.633km of major district roads. The Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) Limited, a wing of the road construction department has been given the responsibility to work on the project.

Tejaswi, who also holds the deputy chief minister's portfolio, said the chief minister has given instructions to look after the Gandhi Setu on a priority basis.

"This bridge is the lifeline of Patna which connects it from north Bihar. The chief minister has instructed us to take up the repair work on priority basis. I am going to Delhi to meet Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkariji on December 30. During the meeting, I will raise this issue as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has already submitted the feasibility study report to the Centre in which it has suggested repairing the Gandhi Setu with a steel structure," said Tejaswi.

Tejaswi left for Delhi this evening.

In March 2015, Jica submitted the final feasibility report for overall restoration on the Gandhi Setu. The Japanese agency had zeroed in on usage of a steel framework to save the 33-year-old bridge from collapsing.

The chief minister also suggested looking for alternatives in projects where land acquisition was becoming a problem with special reference to the Patna-Ara four-lane project. Nitish instructed a department official to construct elevated roads in such schemes where getting land is a problem so that the delay of completing the project could be handled in advance.

The chief minister also enquired about the progress in ongoing projects, which include Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur, Sultanganj-Aguwani, Ara-Chhapra, Bishunpur Bridge and Bangara Ghat Bridge.

"I have asked the officials concerned to adhere to the instruction of the chief minister and all the projects have to be completed in a stipulated time frame," stressed Tejaswi.