Bridges in Bihar
Mahatma Gandhi Setu, joining Patna and Hajipur was India's longest river bridge from 1982 to 2017.
The bridge was approved by the Central Government in 1969 and built by Gammon India Limited over a period of ten years, from 1972 to 1982.
Before this bridge was constructed, Rajendra Setu, opened in 1959, was the only link to North Bihar.
The 4,726 feet (1,440 m) bridge was designed by James Meadows Rendel and Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt.
It was the first rail-cum-road bridge in independent India .The foundation stone for the rail-cum-road bridge between Mokama in Patna district and Simaria in Begusarai district was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India and inaugurated by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and Shri Krishna Sinha, the first prime minister of India and first chief minister of Bihar respectively.
It is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long and carries a two lane road and a single line railway track.
[13] The Government of Bihar sanctioned in 2008, a bridge across the Son River connecting Arwal and Sahar in Bojpur district.
The bridge provides easy Roadway and Railway link between Northern and Southern parts of Bihar.
[18] Earlier, Rajendra Setu was the only bridge that carries railway tracks across the Ganges in the state of Bihar which was opened in 1959.
[25][26] Vikramshila Setu is a bridge across the Ganges, near Bhagalpur named after Vikramashila Mahavihara which was established by King Dharmapala (783 to 820 AD).
This has reduced considerably the road travel distance between Bhagalpur and places across the Ganges.
[24] The Bridge will connect districts of Begusarai and Khagaria to the Divisional headquarters Munger city.
Construction work on the bridge was inaugurated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister, through video conference system in 2002.
[28] The Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur Bridge currently under construction, will span the river Ganges, connecting Bakhtiyarpur in Patna and Tajpur in Samastipur.
Upon completion, the bridge would provide easy Roadway link between Northern and Southern parts of Bihar.
Chief minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone for construction of the 5.575-kilometre-long (3.464 mi) bridge in June 2011.
[29] Upon completion, the bridge will decongest the load on Mahatma Gandhi Setu and also reduce the traffic in the capital city of Patna.
Atfirst, Rs 917.74 crore is to be invested by Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL) as viability gap fund on PPP basis.
On 4 June 2023 the Aguani Ghat experienced a bridge collapse while undergoing repairs.
The bridge was supposed to help boost trade and tourism in the region, while its collapse has also made it more difficult for people to travel between Khagaria and Bhagalpur.
