The 21.5-km pathway on river Ganga, christened as Loknayak Ganga Path, would have noise barriers like high-speed roads in the US, Canada and other countries, a senior officer of Bihar Road Construction Department said today.
In a bid to cut down the noise pollution level, the pathway, considered as Patna's "marine drive", would have noise barriers, Pratya Amrit, Secretary, Road Construction Department and Managing Director of Bihar Roads Development Corporation told reporters.
Foundation stone-laying ceremony of the pathway's elevated corridor covering a distance of 11.9 km across the Ganga, will be done by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tomorrow.
The pathway, which would link Digha in North Bihar with Deedarganj in old Patna, is aimed at decongesting the traffic in the state capital, Amrit said.
The corridor would be the longest elevated corridor in Bihar. It would be a high speed four-lane toll-free corridor, Amrit said.
A senior official Gammon India, the firm constructing the corridor, said that the barriers would cut down the noise level to 50-60 decibel.
After construction of this corridor in about two-and-a-half years, one can reach AIIMS Patna from heavily inhabited Digha in about 10 minutes, the Gammon India official said.
The official said the elevated corridor project would have a life span of 50-60 years.
It would have facilities including street ligtning, ammenities for pedestrians, rescue lanes and traffic and medical aid posts.
Amrit said the company has been given three years to complete the project. "If they fail to do the work within the timeframe, penalty will be imposed as per condition, and if the work is finished before time, bonus will be given to it," the RCD Secretary said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation of the entire 21.5 km pathway on the birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayprakash Narayan on October 11 and hence named it "Loknayak Ganga Path" in his honour.
