A major road project in Bihar is set to change the way people travel across the state. The Amas-Darbhanga Expressway is being developed as a four-lane greenfield expressway under the Bharatmala project. The road will connect important parts of south and north Bihar and is expected to make long-distance travel faster and easier.
7 districts to get faster road connectivity
The expressway will start near Amas, close to the Aurangabad-Gaya border, and move north towards Darbhanga. It will end near Bela Nawada, where it will connect with NH-27, part of the East-West Corridor.
The project will pass through seven districts Aurangabad, Gaya, Jehanabad, Patna, Vaishali, Samastipur and Darbhanga. The road is expected to be around 170 to 198 km long, while its wider network could cover nearly 230 km after other connecting roads are added.
The expressway will also have links to important places such as Bodh Gaya and Rajgir. There are plans to extend connectivity towards Jaynagar near the Nepal border in the future.
At present, the journey from Gaya to Darbhanga can take around six to seven hours. Once the expressway is operational, the travel time is expected to come down to around three to four hours.
Delhi to Darbhanga journey could become much shorter
The new road will also improve Bihar’s connection with Delhi and other major cities. With links to the Purvanchal Expressway, Yamuna Expressway and other major highways, travel between Delhi and Darbhanga could become much faster.
The Delhi-Darbhanga journey, which can currently take around 18 to 22 hours by road, is expected to come down to around 10 to 12 hours through the improved network. The Patna-Delhi journey could also fall to around nine to 10 hours.
The project is also expected to help people avoid heavy traffic in Patna. The 9.75-km six-lane Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur bridge across the Ganga will provide an important connection with the Patna Outer Ring Road.
This means vehicles travelling from Gaya or Aurangabad towards Samastipur and Darbhanga may not need to enter central Patna. They can cross the Ganga outside the city and continue towards north Bihar.
etter links for tourism, farmers and businesses
The expressway is expected to support tourism and business in Bihar. Places such as Gaya, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Patna Sahib and Vaishali could get better road links, making travel easier for visitors.
Farmers and traders may also benefit from faster transport. Products such as Mithila’s famous makhana and Muzaffarpur and Vaishali’s litchi could reach markets in Delhi and Kolkata more quickly. This may be especially useful for goods that need to reach markets soon.
The Amas-Darbhanga Expressway will also connect with the planned Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway. The roughly 610-km corridor will link Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Together, these road projects could create a wider highway network across eastern India. Faster travel, fewer delays and better links between major cities could give a boost to tourism, trade and daily travel across Bihar.
