Expedite work on Amas-Darbhanga expressway: BJP leader

Gaya: Senior BJP leader Prem Kumar on Saturday inspected the ongoing construction of the Amas–Darbhanga Greenfield Expressway (NH-119D) and reviewed its progress with officials. The project, which began on March 31, 2023, has a completion timeline of 24 months.During the inspection, Kumar stressed the need to maintain quality standards and directed officials to expedite work. He said the expressway would be Bihar’s first greenfield expressway and a key milestone in the state’s infrastructure development.According to officials, the four-lane access-controlled highway is being developed from Amas in Gaya to Shivrampur in Darbhanga under the Bharatmala Pariyojana on the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The total project length is around 190 km.The project was awarded to a private construction firm at an estimated cost of Rs 1,157.5 crore on May 20, 2022. So far, physical possession of 50.549 km of land has been secured out of the total 55.002 km stretch. Issues related to acquisition of the remaining 4.453 km are being addressed. Officials added that around 44.51% of the financial progress has been achieved so far.Kumar said the expressway would enhance connectivity across Bihar and boost trade, industry and agriculture, while easing travel for the public. Project officials, engineers and local representatives were present during the inspection.