Nitin Gadkari to launch eastern flank of Gandhi Setu, other projects today

PATNA: Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Nitish Kumar will jointly inaugurate the eastern flank of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Ganga in a mega event at Hajipur on Tuesday. Gadkari will launch altogether 11 projects worth around Rs13,000 crores. Two projects, including the renovated eastern flank, will be opened and foundation stone will be laid for nine other projects.
"The biggest project to be launched is inauguration of the eastern flank of Mahatma Gandhi Setu. The restructured western flank of the bridge was inaugurated two years ago. The entire project has been executed by utilising funds to the tune of around Rs1800 crores," state road construction minister Nitin Nabin told reporters on Monday. Additional chief secretary (road construction) Pratyaya Amrit was also present.
After arriving at Patna airport at 10:30pm, the union minister will go to CM Nitish Kumar's 1, Aney Marg residence. Thereafter, both will go to Mahatma Gandhi Setu and inaugurate the eastern flank of the bridge. Thereafter, they will reach the venue for the inaugural event at Hajipur end of the Setu.
Several union ministers, including union home minister for state Nityanand Rai, union health minister for state Ashwini Chaubey, union minister of rural development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh and union consumer affairs minister Pashupati Kumar Paras will be present at the event.
The old structure of the Gandhi Setu, barring the pillars, has been replaced with steel deck superstructure. The restructuring of 39-year-old Gandhi Setu was taken up in February, 2017 and the western flank of the bridge was inaugurated by union minister Gadkari through video-conferencing on July 31, 2020.
Gandhi Setu apart, the road connectivity in north Bihar will further smoothen with inauguration of the 94km-long two lane national highway (NH) from Chhapra to Gopalganj via Siwan constructed utilising funds to the tune of Rs1150crores. "This project will help the people in Saran division to commute to places at ease in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, including Deoraia, Gorakhpur, Balia, Gazipur and Varnasi among others," Nabin said.
Foundation stone will be laid for total nine projects on Tuesday, including an 11km-long two-lane road from AIIMS- Patna to Naubatpur. An 88.65km long road from Umagaon to Bheja in Madhubani district will be taken up at a cost of Rs1614crores. "It will ease vehicular connectivity of people from Darbhanga, Madhubani and Suapul," Nabin said.
Another project to be launched during the event includes a 3km-long four-lane elevated flyover on NH-27 in Gopalganj. The contractor for the project has also roped in through bidding process.
Foundation stone will also be laid for another four-km-long elevated flyover in Begusarai town utilising funds to the tune of Rs256crores. Besides, a four-lane greenfield corridor project will be launched on Munger-Bhagalpur-Mirzachowki route utilising funds to the tune of Rs5788crores.