The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $295 million loan to expand and modernize some 265 kilometers of state highways, improving transport connectivity and safety in the Indian state of Bihar.
Highways will be upgraded with weather and disaster resistant design, road safety features, and other features that will respond to the needs of the elderly, women, children, and people with disabilities.
“Improving connectivity and road safety is critical for areas that are highly dependent on agriculture like Bihar. Better infrastructure allows farmers to connect to markets and improve their income. They also promote off-farm employment and access to quality health and education services,” said Kai Wei Yeo, ADB Senior Transport Specialist for South Asia.
“The project will contribute to improving the lives of the people of Bihar, especially in the project areas considered among the poorest in the country.”
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The project will also encourage women’s participation by providing employment for female workers on construction sites. Women from the communities in the project areas will be offered livelihood training, as well as awareness raising on road safety, health and hygiene, and abuse and harassment.
Initiatives will be launched to strengthen transport planning, safety and sustainability at the Bihar State Road Development Corporation Limited.
These include developing a road asset management system that includes information on climate change and disaster risk, setting up research labs with training teams at the Bihar Highway Research Institute, conducting studies on congestion management and climate adaptation, and the creation of guidelines for practices that include the gender perspective in road safety measures.
The Government contributes 156.6 million dollars to the project. Since 2008, the ADB has provided five loans totaling $1.63 billion to the state of Bihar, modernizing some 1,696 km of state highways and building a new bridge over the Ganges River.
