BSHP-III to build institutional capacity
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a US$200 million loan to finance widening and upgrading of about 230-km State Highways in Bihar to all-weather standards with road safety features.
The Bihar State Highways III Project (BSHP-III), approved by the ADB Board in October this year, will involve upgrading State Highways to standard two-lane width with road safety features and paved shoulders including reconstructing, widening, and strengthening culverts and bridges.
The Project will also build institutional capacity of the State for road design and maintenance and incorporate appropriate new technologies in the State’s road sub-sector.
The Loan will continue ADB’s support in the development of the road sector in Bihar.
The improved roads under the Project will contribute to savings in vehicle operating cost and travel time, reduce vehicle emissions, and improve road safety.
The Project will also establish a State-level Road Research Institute to improve technical and management capacity of the Road Agency Staff.
Since 2008, ADB has provided four loans to Bihar, amounting to US$1.43 billion, to upgrade about 1,453-km of State Highways and to construct a New Bridge over the Ganga River near Patna.
The loan signatories on 26 Nov 2018 were: Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Rajeev P. Singh, Officer in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission. The project agreement was signed by Vipin Kumar, Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Bihar and Chandra Shekhar, Chief General Manager, Bihar State Roads Development Corporation Limited. fiinews.com
