The Bhagalpur bypass, constructed with an investment of ₹200 crore, is severely damaged. This bypass, linking Nathnagar to Zero Mile, is heavily used. Despite the constant traffic, the administration has neglected its maintenance. The government collects between ₹6.5 and ₹7 lakhs in toll tax daily from this road.
The poor state of the road leads to constant damage to vehicles using it. Approximately half of the 16-kilometer bypass is dilapidated, with large potholes throughout. This results in vehicle breakdowns and traffic jams.
More than 25,000 vehicles utilize this route daily. Despite the traffic, the government has failed to address the state of the road. The bypass was constructed in 2019 by a Rajasthan-based company. Toll collection was managed by companies from Bihar and Delhi from 2019 to 2021.
Subsequently, an MP-based company collected tolls from August 2021 to August 2022. Later, companies from Nagpur and Rajasthan took over toll collection, but the road condition was ignored. In 2024, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that tolls should not be collected on poorly maintained roads. However, neither toll reductions nor road repairs have been carried out.
Local residents have expressed their dissatisfaction, emphasizing the frequent accidents caused by the road’s condition and the administration’s lack of response. During the rainy season, the situation becomes even more perilous as potholes fill with water, obscuring their depth and increasing accident risks. People have expressed their frustration with the administration’s inaction and have appealed to the government to solve the problem and prevent future incidents.
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