Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Aunta – Simaria bridge project on river Ganga in Bihar. PM Modi is in Bihar today to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth around Rs 13,000 crore in Gaya.
PM Modi was accompanied by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and was seen waving at the crowd from the bridge.
Alongside the bridge, PM Modi will also inaugurate the four-lane Bakhtiyarpur–Mokama stretch of NH-31, built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,900 crore.
VIDEO | Bihar: PM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) inaugurates Aunta – Simaria bridge project on River Ganga.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 22, 2025
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/26U9cbcXmx
All About The Aunta-Simaria Bridge
The 8.15 km long Aunta-Simaria bridge includes 1.86 km long six lane Bridge on the river Ganga, and is constructed at a cost of over Rs 1,870 crore.
Built on NH-31, it will connect the North and South regions of the state, and is expected to bring relief to commuters who have been facing issues due to the old two-lane bridge. The bridge will now provide direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna and Begusarai.
According to a press release by the government, the Aunta-Simaria bridge has been constructed parallel to the old two-lane rail-cum-road bridge 'Rajendra Setu,' which is now in a dilapidated state, forcing heavy vehicles to re-route.
Once operational, the new bridge will cut down a distance of over 100 kilometres and ease traffic movement between North Bihar districts like Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani, Purnea and Araria, and South Bihar areas such as Sheikhpura, Nawada, and Lakhisarai. By removing the bottleneck, it is also expected to reduce congestion on alternate routes, thereby reducing the issues of traffic snarls caused due to the detour.
The project is likely to accelerate economic growth in North Bihar, which relies heavily on South Bihar and Jharkhand for raw materials. Additionally, it will offer smoother access to Simaria Dham, a major pilgrimage site and birthplace of poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.
