Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 8.15-km Aunta–Simaria bridge project on NH-31 in Bihar today, marking a major milestone in the state’s infrastructure development.
The highlight of the project is a 1.86-km six-lane cable-stayed bridge across the Ganga, constructed at a cost of ₹1,870 crore. Touted as Bihar’s widest extradosed cable-stayed structure, the bridge is 34 metres wide with segment lengths ranging from 57 to 115 metres and cantilever arms stretching 70 metres. Built using high-performance concrete with silica fume, the new structure stands parallel to the two-lane Rajendra Setu, which is currently under repair and closed to heavy vehicles.
The bridge will cut detours of over 100 km, drastically reducing travel time between north Bihar districts—Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani, Purnea, Araria—and south Bihar regions such as Patna, Sheikhpura, Nawada, and Lakhisarai. It will also ease access to Simaria Dham, a noted pilgrimage centre and birthplace of poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.
“This bridge will significantly reduce the distance between north and south Bihar and stand as a signature project of progress,” said Road Construction Minister Nitin Navin. Officials noted the project will boost freight movement, support industrial hubs like Barauni, and expand market opportunities for farmers, including makhana growers.
