Patna–Purnia Expressway Becomes NE-9: Bihar’s First Intra-State National Expressway

The Patna–Purnia Expressway has officially received the prestigious designation of National Expressway‑9 (NE‑9) from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, marking a historic milestone as Bihar’s first expressway entirely within the state. This greenfield expressway will stretch approximately 250 km, beginning at Mirnagar Arezi (Hajipur) on NH‑22 and terminating at Hansdah in Purnia, where it will connect with NH‑27 (East–West Corridor).

Featuring state-of-the-art infrastructure, the project includes 21 major bridges, 140 minor bridges, 11 railway overbridges, 21 interchanges and 322 underpasses, along with dedicated link roads to districts like Samastipur, Saharsa and Madhepura. Construction has commenced on land acquisition across six districts; Vaishali, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhepura and Purnia, with compensation at market rates already underway.

Once completed, likely by mid‑2028, the expressway with a speed limit of up to 120 km/h, will cut the travel time between Patna and Purnia down to just 3–4 hours, compared to the current journey duration of nearly seven hours.

This transformative infrastructure initiative is expected to drive economic growth, improve regional connectivity and boost socio-economic opportunities across Bihar’s eastern corridor.