Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Nitish Kumar will jointly inaugurate the eastern flank of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Ganga in a mega event at Hajipur on Tuesday. Gadkari will launch altogether 11 projects worth around Rs13,000 crores. Two projects, including the renovated eastern flank, will be opened and a foundation stone will be laid for nine other projects.

“The biggest project to be launched is the inauguration of the eastern flank of Mahatma Gandhi Setu. The restructured western flank of the bridge was inaugurated two years ago. The entire project has been executed by utilizing funds to the tune of around Rs1800 crores,” state road construction minister Nitin Nabin told reporters on Monday. Additional chief secretary (road construction) Pratyaya Amrit was also present.

After arriving at Patna airport at 10:30 pm, the union minister will go to CM Nitish Kumar’s 1, Aney Marg residence. Thereafter, both will go to Mahatma Gandhi Setu and inaugurate the eastern flank of the bridge. Thereafter, they will reach the venue for the inaugural event
at Hajipur end of the Setu.

Several union ministers, including union home minister for state Nityanand Rai, union health minister for state Ashwini Chaubey, union minister of rural development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh, and union consumer affairs minister Pashupati Kumar
Paras will be present at the event.

The old structure of the Gandhi Setu, barring the pillars, has been replaced with a steel deck superstructure. The restructuring of 39-year-old Gandhi Setu was taken up in February 2017 and the western flank of the bridge was inaugurated by union minister Gadkari through video-conferencing on July 31, 2020. Gandhi Setu apart, the road connectivity in North Bihar will further smoothen with the inauguration of the 94km-long two-lane national highway (NH) from Chhapra to Gopalganj via Swan constructed utilizing funds to the tune of Rs1150crores.

“This project will help the people in the Saran division to commute to places at ease in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, including Deoraia, Corakhpur, Balia, Gazipur, and Varnasi among others,” Nabin said.