Key Points

The bridge, built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,871 crore, is being hailed as a new symbol of modern infrastructure in the state.

The 8.15-km-long bridge connects Aunta Ghat in Mokama (Patna district) with Simaria in Begusarai and runs parallel to the nearly seven-decade-old Rajendra Setu.

With Rajendra Setu undergoing repairs and heavy vehicles currently barred from using it, traffic between north and south Bihar has been heavily disrupted for years.

The new bridge will now provide direct connectivity and ease congestion. Officials said it would cut travel distance by up to 100 km for heavy vehicles moving between districts such as Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani and Araria in north Bihar and Patna, Sheikhpura, Nawada and Lakhisarai in the south.

The bridge will also make it easier for devotees visiting the famous pilgrimage site of Simaria Dham, birthplace of renowned poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’.

At present, only one lane of the bridge is functional, but from August 22 both lanes will be fully opened to traffic.

Along with the Ganga bridge, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the 44.6-km four-lane Bakhtiyarpur–Mokama road built at a cost of Rs 1,899 crore.

This will complete smooth four-lane connectivity from Patna to Khagaria via Mokama and Begusarai. The Patna–Bakhtiyarpur stretch is already operational.

The Aunta–Simaria bridge was first announced by PM Modi in 2015 as part of a special package for Bihar.

He later laid its foundation stone in 2017 -- marking the start of what officials have described as a “transformational journey” for the state’s connectivity.

During his Bihar visit, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a public meeting at Magadh University in Gaya and inaugurate or lay foundation stones for more than 30 development projects worth Rs 1,675 crore.

Once fully functional, the Aunta–Simaria bridge is expected to ease long-standing traffic jams, improve connectivity between Bihar and the northeast, reduce fuel costs for transporters, and provide a major boost to regional trade and cultural tourism.

- IANS