Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, December 10
The six-lane bridge over Sone river will be known as Vashistha Narain Singh bridge, union highways minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday.
Inaugurating the 1526 metres long bridge through video conferencing, Gadkari said Vashistha Narain Singh was a great mathematician and known as Einstein of India.
Singh, who worked in NASA, died last year. He was a resident of Vasantpur village in Bhojpur district, 55 kms from here.
Union energy minister, Raj Kumar Singh, who represents Ara in Lok Sabha had earlier demanded naming of a new bridge to commemorate the memory of the mathematician.
Farhan Akhtar is making a biopic on Vashistha and shootings were done at his village.
Gadkari said the new bridge constructed parallel to the 138 years old Bari bridge, would ease movement between Patna and Ara.
Gadkari claimed the largest number of river overbridges on Ganga, Kosi and Sone are being constructed in Bihar, which is next to Assam.
Union minister said a four-lane river over-bridge is under construction at Bhagalpur that would cost Rs 3000 crores. Commercial steamers would ferry under the bridge.
Since Chinese contractors withdrew from the Rs 2200 crore ,six kms long Sahebganj-Manihari Ganga river bridge, the project has been delayed and now it would be ready by 2024.
At Patna City, a new bridge on Ganga river for Rs 1800 crore is under construction.
According to the minister, new river bridges at Madhepura, Chapra, Vikramshila, Buxar, Katihar and Sahibganj are being constructed. He claimed Rs 50000 crore are being spent in Bihar.
The Ram-Janaki Gaman marg identifying the path used by Ram in Bihar would be ready by June 2023.
Gadkari said Patna airport would be linked to proposed Bihta airport by an elevated road.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar addressed the conference from Patna, while Gadkari opened the new bridge from New Delhi.
