Patna, India’s infrastructure landscape is poised for another milestone as a 10.2-kilometre, four-lane bridge over the Kosi river in Bihar nears completion, eclipsing the current record held by Assam’s 9.15 km Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Dhola-Sadiya) across the Brahmaputra.
The ₹1,200 crore Bakaur-Bheja megabridge, connecting Bakaur in Supaul district with Bheja in Madhubani, is being built under the National Infrastructure Pipeline and forms part of the ambitious Bharatmalā Pariyojana. Once commissioned, the structure will reduce the road distance between Supaul and Madhubani by approximately 30 km, cutting current travel distances from around 100 km to 70 km.
Construction, executed by a consortium of Gammon India and Transrail Lighting, is progressing rapidly. Of the bridge’s 171 pillars and 170 spans, 76 spans on the Madhubani side and 56 on the Supaul side have already been completed. Originally targeted for completion in 2024, officials now expect the project to be fully operational within the next 12-18 months.
Beyond commercial connectivity, the bridge carries significant strategic importance. Located close to the Nepal border, it will enhance linkages between northern Bihar, the north-eastern states, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, while strengthening India’s defence logistics corridor in a flood-prone and geologically challenging region long known as the “Sorrow of Bihar”.
In a related development, the Centre has granted financial approval for an even longer 12.036 km, six-lane bridge across the Gandak river linking Bettiah in Bihar with Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. Estimated at ₹1,977 crore and to be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), the Gandak project has already cleared the Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) and awaits final Cabinet nod. Land acquisition is complete, and tendering is expected shortly, with a four-year construction timeline.
Taken together, the two projects underscore the accelerated pace of high-quality road and bridge infrastructure development in one of India’s most historically under-served states, with clear implications for regional trade, agricultural supply chains, and cross-border connectivity in the eastern subcontinent.
