The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of a four-lane greenfield highway along the Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah section of NH-139W in Bihar at a cost of ₹3,822.31 crore.
The 78.94-km stretch will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and aims to strengthen connectivity between Patna and Bettiah while linking several North Bihar districts, including Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran, up to areas along the Indo-Nepal border.
The project is expected to ease movement of long-distance freight traffic, improve access to agricultural zones and industrial hubs, and boost cross-border trade. It will also provide direct connectivity to seven PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, six social nodes, eight logistics hubs, and nine major tourism and religious centres, including Kesariya Buddha Stupa, Someshwarnath Mandir, Jain Mandir, Vishwa Shanti Stupa and Mahavir Temple.
Designed for vehicular speeds of 100 km/h, the highway is projected to cut travel time between Sahebganj and Bettiah from 2.5 hours to about one hour, offering a faster and safer route compared to existing congested roads.
The project is estimated to generate 14.22 lakh man-days of direct employment and 17.69 lakh man-days of indirect employment, besides creating additional job opportunities through induced economic activity along the corridor.
The highway will also provide crucial links to NH-31, NH-722, NH-727, NH-27 and NH-227A, enhancing regional connectivity and supporting the Buddhist tourism circuit in Bihar.