The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 78.94 km, four-lane greenfield highway between Sahebganj, Areraj, and Bettiah in Bihar under NH-139W. 

With an investment of Rs 3,822.31 crore, the project will be executed under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM). It aims to enhance regional connectivity, particularly between Patna and north Bihar districts like Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, and West Champaran, as well as facilitate cross-border trade with Nepal. Designed for high-speed vehicular movement (up to 100 km/h), the highway will reduce travel time from 2.5 hours to one hour and ease congestion on existing routes.

The project will connect seven PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, multiple logistics and social nodes, and major tourist and religious destinations, including Kesariya Buddha Stupa (Sahebganj), Someshwarnath Mandir (Areraj), Jain Mandir and Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Vaishali), and Mahavir Temple (Patna) strengthening Bihar’s Buddhist tourism circuit. Additionally, it is expected to create over 14.22 lakh man-days of direct employment and 17.69 lakh man-days indirectly during construction.