Aug 22, 2025: The Aunta-Simaria bridge project on National Highway-31, a crucial infrastructure link that is anticipated to ease traffic and boost economic activity throughout Bihar, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The 8.15 -km project includes a 1.8- km six-laned bridge built over the Ganga at a cost of Rs 1,870 crore. It will directly connect Mokama in Patna district with Begusarai, providing a much-needed alternative to the ageing Rajendra Setu.

According to the officials, the new bridge has been constructed parallel to the two-laned rail-cum-road bridge, Rajendra Setu, which has long been in a dilapidated state. Owing to its poor condition, heavy vehicles have been forced to take long detours of over 100 km, leading to congestion in other stretches of the region.

Officials said the bridge would ease the movement of freight and cut down travel time for vehicles moving between north Bihar districts such as Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani, Purnea and Araria, and South Bihar areas, including Sheikhpura, Nawada and Lakhisarai.

The government expects the project to give a push to the regional economy, particularly in north Bihar, which depends heavily on south Bihar and Jharkhand for raw material.

The inauguration comes as part of the Centre’s continued focus on strengthening road infrastructure in the state.

A number of metro projects in Kolkata will also be opened by the PM, marking a significant expansion of the city's urban transportation network. The newly constructed metro lines will cover a total of 13.61 kilometers, and services will begin immediately on these stretches. He will flag off the Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar service from Jessore Road, providing direct Metro access to the Kolkata airport for the first time.

Additionally, he will launch the Sealdah-Esplanade Metro service, which will reduce travel time between the two busy locations from nearly forty minutes to just eleven minutes. Another important addition will be the Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section, which will improve connectivity to the city's IT hub. Alongside the new lines, a subway at the Howrah Metro Station will also be opened to the public.

Officials said the new services would link some of Kolkata’s most congested and high-traffic areas, ease pressure on road transport and strengthen multimodal links across the city. The network is expected to benefit lakhs of daily commuters and significantly reduce travel times.