Categories: India

PM Modi To Inaugurate Aunta–Simaria Bridge In Bihar And Key Metro Projects In Kolkata On Friday

PM Modi will inaugurate the 8.15 km Aunta–Simaria bridge on NH-31 in Bihar on Friday, easing travel across the Ganga and helping regional trade. He will also launch three new metro routes in Kolkata to cut travel time and improve urban connectivity.

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Published by Sofia Babu Chacko
Last updated: August 21, 2025 17:03:39 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will provide a major drive to connectivity in Bihar and West Bengal on Friday by inaugurating two iconic infrastructure projects the NH-31 Aunta–Simaria bridge and several metro lines in Kolkata.

Aunta–Simaria bridge project

In Bihar, tomorrow’s main highlight is Aunta–Simaria bridge project on NH-31, measuring 8.15 km in length, and featuring a 1.86 km six-lane bridge spanning the Ganga. Constructed at a cost exceeding ₹1,870 crore, the bridge will offer direct connectivity between Patna district’s Mokama and Begusarai, revolutionizing travel for lakhs of individuals from North and South Bihar.

Commuters and heavy vehicles had relied on the aged two-lane rail-cum-road “Rajendra Setu” for decades, which has deteriorated. Heavy vehicles frequently took a circuit of over 100 km, increasing travel time, congestion, and economic burden.

The proposed bridge should help end this issue and mean a shorter, safer, smoother span over the Ganga. 

Enhancing the trade and development

Local people say the project will change the way trade and development happen in the area. “This bridge helps us cut travel time by hours. For farmers and drivers of trucks and for families, this is our lifeline,” said truck driver Ramesh Kumar, who regularly hauls goods back and forth between North Bihar and South Bihar. You might not be aware, but the drivers of these vehicles will drive extremely long hours especially the ones dealing with trade. 

It will benefit industries and farmers especially in districts like Begusarai, Supaul, Purnea, Araria, and Madhubani that rely on South Bihar and Jharkhand for raw material, according to experts. 

Metro rail corridors in Kolkata

PM Modi will inaugurate three new metro rail corridors on the same day, marking a new era of urban transportation for the city. The newly constructed 13.61 km long network will feature the Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro service, enhancing connectivity to Kolkata airport, the Sealdah–Esplanade route, reducing travel time between the two locations from 40 minutes to a mere 11 minutes, and the Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro corridor, intended to raise connectivity with the city’s IT park.

The PM will also open a recently developed subway at the Howrah Metro Station. The metro expansion will link some of Kolkata’s most populated localities, will help lakhs of daily commuters, and consolidate multimodal transport in the city, claim officials.

ALSO READ: Namma Metro Yellow Line in Bengaluru Inaugurated, How Is It Beneficial?

Published by Sofia Babu Chacko
Last updated: August 21, 2025 17:03:39 IST

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