The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the construction of the Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah section of National Highway-139W in Bihar. The project, to be executed on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), spans a length of 78.942 km with a total capital cost of ₹3,822.31 crore.
The four-lane greenfield corridor aims to strengthen connectivity between Patna and Bettiah, linking key districts of North Bihar including Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran, and extending up to the Indo-Nepal border. The initiative is expected to support long-distance freight traffic, boost access to critical infrastructure, and drive regional economic growth by improving linkages to agricultural hubs, industrial areas and cross-border trade routes.
The project will connect seven PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, six social nodes, eight logistic nodes, and nine major tourism and religious centres. Improved connectivity will benefit heritage and Buddhist tourism sites such as Kesariya Buddha Stupa (Sahebganj), Someshwarnath Mandir (Areraj), Jain Mandir and Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Vaishali), and Mahavir Temple (Patna), enhancing the Buddhist circuit and reinforcing Bihar’s international tourism appeal.
NH-139W has been planned as a high-speed corridor offering an average vehicular speed of 80 km/h against a design speed of 100 km/h. Travel time between Sahebganj and Bettiah is projected to reduce from 2.5 hours to 1 hour, ensuring safe, fast, and uninterrupted movement for both passengers and freight.
The 78.94 km greenfield alignment will generate approximately 14.22 lakh man-days of direct employment and 17.69 lakh man-days of indirect employment, while catalysing further job creation through expanded economic activity along the corridor.
