Cabinet approves construction of new link between Sahibganj to Manihari bypass

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the construction of new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari bypass in Bihar including four lane bridges on river Ganga.

The cost is estimated to be Rs.1954.77 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road to be developed is approximately 22 kms.

This work will be done under the National Highways (Others) on Hybrid Annuity Mode. The concession period of the Project is 19 years including a construction period of four years.

The new link road will be approximately 16 km long starting (km.200.87 of Sahibganj Pass in Jharkhand) to another six km long near Narenpur (junction of NH-133B and NH-131A on Manihari bypass in Bihar). This stretch also includes a four-lane Bridge on Ganga river.

The project will help in expediting the improvement of infrastructure in Bihar and Jharkhand and also in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying in the area in these States. The development of this stretch will also help in uplifting the socio-economic condition of this region in the State.

It would also increase employment potential for local labourers for project activities. It has been estimated that a total number of 4,076 mandays are required for construction of one kilometre of highway. As such, employment potential of 89,000 (approx.) mandays will be generated locally during the construction period of this stretch.

The new project highway is a new formation of the missing link at NH-131A to NH-133B connecting Sahibganj in Jharkhand and Manihari in Bihar. At present, there is a missing link between Jharkhand to Bihar as there is no Bridge on the river Ganga at this location. The vehicular traffic uses Vikramshila Setu at Bhagalpur on Farakka barrage thus travelling a long distance to reach their destinations in North Bihar.