NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the Aunta-Simaria project featuring a six-lane, 1.8 km-long bridge over the Ganga River in Bihar on August 22. The link will reduce travel distance by about 100 km for heavy vehicles ferrying between north and south Bihar and provide direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna District and Begusarai. Modi had laid the foundation in October 2017. The project is part of National Highway 31. The bridge has been constructed parallel to the existing two-lane rail-cum-road bridge “Rajendra Setu”, which is almost seven decades old and needs repair. Anil Chaudhary, member, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said, “The Rajendra Setu has only two lanes, and the one corridor is closed because of repair work. Only one lane is in use, and it is for light motor vehicles. So, traffic jams are regular. The new bridge will resolve this issue.”Heavy vehicles plying on the new bridge will have to travel 100 km less between Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani, and Araria in North Bihar and Patna, Seikhpura, Nawada, and Lakhisarai in South Bihar.
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