The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of the 4-lane Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of NH-139W in Bihar under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). The greenfield highway project spans 78.942 km with a total capital cost of Rs 3,822.31 crore. It is designed to improve connectivity between the state capital Patna and Bettiah, linking the districts of Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran up to areas along the Indo–Nepal border.

The project will strengthen long-distance freight movement, improve access to key infrastructure and support regional economic development by connecting agricultural zones, industrial hubs and cross-border trade routes. It will also link seven PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, six social nodes, eight logistics nodes and nine major tourism and religious centres. Improved access to heritage and Buddhist tourist destinations such as the Kesariya Buddha Stupa (Sahebganj), Someshwarnath Mandir (Areraj), Jain Mandir and Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Vaishali) and Mahavir Temple (Patna) will enhance the Buddhist circuit and boost international tourism in Bihar.

NH-139W is planned as a high-speed alternative to existing congested routes, connecting major national highways such as NH-31, NH-722, NH-727, NH-27 and NH-227A. The new alignment will support average vehicular speeds of 80 km/h against a design speed of 100 km/h, reducing travel time between Sahebganj and Bettiah from 2.5 hours to just one hour. This will provide safe, fast and uninterrupted connectivity for both passenger and freight vehicles.

The 78.94-km project is expected to generate approximately 14.22 lakh man-days of direct employment and 17.69 lakh man-days of indirect employment. It will also create additional opportunities through the increased economic activity spurred by the new corridor.