| Work Detail |
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Central government on 27 July, 2023 signed an agreement for a USD 295 million loan towards upgrading around 265-km state highways in Bihar. The project supports the Bihar governments programme to upgrade all the state highways to standard two-lane width, as well as augment road safety measures. The improved roads will enhance connectivity in Bihars poorest rural districts, and provide access to health and education facilities and markets, to improve peoples lives. Apart from road upgradation, the ADB project will step up efforts to enhance the Bihar State Road Development Corporation’s implementation capacity as well as fortify systems with a focus on planning, road safety, and sustainability. This will include developing a road asset management system (RAMS) enabled with climate change and disaster risk information capabilities, setting up research laboratories in the Bihar Road Research Institute (BRRI) to assist investigation of materials, including reusable, and sustainable materials. The project also prioritises gender-inclusive practices in road safety measures and includes a training in livelihood as well as awareness on road safety, health and hygiene to be provided to women from communities in the project areas. Since 2008, ADB has provided five loans totalling USD 1.63 billion to Bihar for upgrading about 1,696-km state highways and the construction of a new bridge over the Ganga river. |
