CCEA Sanctions ₹3,591 Crore for NH-22 Upgrade in Bihar.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the upgradation of the 82.578-km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of National Highway-22 (NH-22) in Bihar to four lanes.

The project, to be developed under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM), entails a total capital outlay of ₹3,590.73 crore, according to an official release.

The upgraded corridor will connect the India-Nepal border at Sonbarsa with Muzaffarpur and integrate with NH-27, providing a key link to the East-West Corridor and Bihar’s wider highway network.

The project is expected to ease congestion in densely populated towns along the route, including Muzaffarpur, Muksudpur, Runni Saidpur, Thumma, Dumra, Bhutahi and Sonbarsa.

The highway has been designed for a speed of 100 kmph, with an average operating speed target of 80 kmph. The project will also have no at-grade median openings, which the government said would enable faster and safer movement of passenger and freight traffic while reducing vehicle operating costs and improving fuel efficiency.

The corridor will also improve connectivity to key social and religious destinations, including the Baba Garibnath Temple, Mata Janki Temple, the Buddhist Circuit and the historic Janaki Punaura Dham Temple in Sitamarhi.

The project includes seven major bridges, including a 340-metre-long bridge over the perennial Bagmati River. It will also feature three railway overbridges and two flyovers measuring 1,170 metres and 270 metres, respectively.

The CCEA said the project would support economic and social development in the Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi aspirational districts while strengthening connectivity between Bihar’s major commercial, cultural and border regions.