The Eastern Voice Correspondent

Patna/New Delhi. In a major boost to Bihar’s road infrastructure, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the upgradation of the 143.53-km Khagaria–Purnea section of National Highwayso 31 and 231 into a four-lane highway. The project has been sanctioned at an estimated capital cost of ₹3,936.05 crore and will be executed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model.
The highway corridor passes through the districts of Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar, and Purnea, where it aims to eliminate sharp curves, geometric deficiencies, and traffic bottlenecks. As part of the project, a 6.729-km Greenfield bypass will also be constructed around Purnea city to ease urban congestion.
The upgraded corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Khagaria and Purnea to nearly two hours, improve road safety, lower vehicle operating costs, and strengthen the movement of agricultural produce, including banana, makhana, maize, and other regional commodities. The project is also expected to enhance connectivity between eastern Bihar and the rest of the country, supporting trade, logistics, tourism, and overall economic development.