Cabinet Approves Rs 3,590.73 Crore Upgrade of NH-22 Section in Bihar

Key facts

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the upgradation of the 82.578-km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar to four-lane standard at a total capital cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore.
• The NH-22 upgrade will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
• The corridor will connect Muzaffarpur to Sonbarsa near the India-Nepal border, with the Muzaffarpur end linking to NH-27 of the East-West Corridor.
• The project is planned under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and aims to ease congestion at locations including Muzaffarpur, Runni Saidpur, Dumra, Bhutahi and Sonbarsa.
• The upgraded highway is designed for a maximum speed of 100 kmph with an average speed of 80 kmph and will have no at-grade median openings.
• The project includes seven major bridges, including a 340-metre bridge over the Bagmati River, three railway overbridges and two flyovers.
• It will improve connectivity to 11 PM GatiShakti nodes, comprising five economic nodes, four social nodes and two logistics nodes.
• The corridor is expected to boost cross-border passenger and cargo movement through the Bhithamore Land Port and support movement of agricultural produce, goods and passenger traffic.