Bihar will soon see a semi-elevated/elevated road west of Patna that would connect the upcoming Sonepur-Digha rail-cum-road bridge with NH 98 near AIIMS.

The Centre sanctioned Rs 12,000 crore for a special plan, over and above funds to be got in 12th Plan period. At a meeting in Delhi on Friday, plan panel approved projects over Rs 4,000 crore for special plan fund. One is the road, which enters from Jharkhand side and passes through Aurangabad and Arwal districts before culminating at a point that connects it to NH31, which commences in Chhapra, north Bihar, and passes through Patna, to Katihar in eastern Bihar.

The approved project, worth Rs 1289.25 crore, entails construction of semi-elevated/elevated 10.5 km long road atop the Patna canal, which stretches in south (AIIMS)-north (rail-cum-road bridge) direction. Three kilometres of this proposed road, from AIIMS side, would be semi-elevated and it would be a 2-lane road. It would culminate at Bailey road flyover between Jadgeo Path and Saguna Mor. The remaining portion would be an elevated four-lane road. “We intend to complete the project within three years, tenders would be floated soon,” a senior state official said from Delhi.

Planning commission also sanctioned Rs 1895.33 crore for a project to strengthen power distribution and removal of constraints in south and north Bihar. Planning commission also approved a Rs 837.62 crore project for rural electrification and a Rs 472.53 crore one for strengthening sub-transmission system.

“Projects worth Rs 4494.73 crore got commission’s nod at Friday’s meeting and now we have been asked to prioritise the remaining projects,” said a senior state government official.