New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved the four-laning of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of National Highway-22 in Bihar at a total capital cost of ₹3,590.73 crore.
The 82.58-km project will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as the implementing agency.
The existing highway will be upgraded to a four-lane road with paved shoulders, improving connectivity between Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Sonbarsa near the India-Nepal border.
The corridor currently carries around 13,299 passenger car units (PCUs) per day, compared with the design capacity of 10,000 PCUs for a two-lane highway in plain terrain.
The four-laning is expected to improve the movement of passenger and freight traffic and reduce congestion along the corridor.
According to project appraisal documents, travel time between Muzaffarpur and Sonbarsa is expected to decline from around two hours to about one hour after completion of the project.
The project also includes flyovers and other structures at congested stretches to improve traffic movement and divert heavy vehicles away from densely populated areas.
The upgraded highway is expected to improve connectivity to religious destinations including Baba Garibnath Temple in Muzaffarpur and Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi.
The project had earlier been recommended by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee at its 136th meeting held on October 1, 2025.
NHAI has also floated the tender for the four-laning work. While the current tender lists a project length of 82.551 km, the Cabinet-approved project length is 82.578 km.
The ₹3,590.73 crore capital cost covers the overall project expenditure, while the lower figure appearing in tender documents relates to the estimated bid-stage project cost excluding certain components.
The project is expected to strengthen road connectivity in north Bihar and improve movement towards the India-Nepal border.
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