Patna, Aug 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 8.1 km long Aunta-Simaria highway project in Bihar on August 22, which includes a 1.86 km six-lane bridge across the Ganga.

The ambitious project, built at a cost of over Rs 1,870 crore, will bridge the capital with other regions and will ensure direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna and Begusarai.

The inauguration of the Ganga bridge will give a momentous boost to the infrastructure push in Bihar, as the Aunta–Simaria six-lane bridge is Asia’s widest stay cable bridge. The engineering marvel will not only be a technological marvel but also prove to be a lifeline for millions across North and South Bihar.

The bridge will cut down the travel time sharply and also prevent lakhs of people from traffic exhaustion.

IANS spoke to some local people, who said that they are enthusiastic and exuberant about not just the bridge launch but also its inauguration by PM Modi.

Chandan Kumar said, “Whenever PM Modi comes, he brings a lot of gifts for the people of Bihar. The inauguration of this bridge will provide a lot of convenience to the people.”

He said the existing bridge is unable and ill-equipped to handle traffic, and the Aunta–Simaria will improve their lives drastically.

“It used to take two hours to cover even a small distance. Now, we can reach Patna in 1.5 hours. This bridge is writing a new history of development for this region. It’s the Ganga of development that is flowing in Bihar under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar,” he added.

Another local, Nilesh Kumar, said that the bridge will make daily travel easy and comfortable.

“It used to take three to four hours to reach Patna; now it will take just a little more than one hour. This is a gift from PM Modi to the people of Bihar,” he stated.

He further said that the double-engine government has done a lot of work for roads, electricity and water and highlighted, “If we compare it with the previous governments, there is a huge difference. Crime has reduced in Nitish Kumar’s government. The public is very happy with his administration.”

Another Begusarai resident said that with the opening of this bridge, travelling will become much easier.

“Now we won’t have to face the problem of traffic jams. Earlier, there was a problem of traffic jams due to a bridge, due to which it used to take 2-3 hours to reach Patna,” he remarked.

–IANS

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