The long-awaited 19.76 km Kacchi Dargah–Bidupur bridge was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on 23 June, delivering India’s longest extra-dosed cable-stayed crossing and a game-changing artery for Bihar’s transport network. Built by the Bihar State Road Development Corporation, the six-lane structure carries the Patna–Bakhtiyarpur four-lane (NH-30) across the Ganga to NH-103 near Samastipur, opening an all-weather route between Patna and Raghopur Diara and easing pressure on the ageing Mahatma Gandhi Setu.

Costing about Rs 49.88 billion, the project relies on Asian Development Bank finance and features 150-metre spans supported by 15.2 mm imported cable from South Korea. Kumar, who monitored progress from the outset, said year-round access will unlock rapid growth in agriculture, industry and commerce across Vaishali and Samastipur districts. The bridge forms part of a wider plan to knit Kashmiri to Kanyakumari with high-grade highways, underlining the State’s pledge to “make movement easier by continuously constructing quality roads and bridges”.