The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India today signed agreement for a $295 million loan to upgrade around 265 kilometer state highways with climate and disaster resilient design, and road safety elements in the state of Bihar.

The signatories to the agreement for the Enhancing Connectivity and Sustainability in Bihar Roads Project were Mr. Vumlunmang Vualnam, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, who signed on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Takeo Konishi, Country Director for ADB in India, who signed for ADB.

The project supports the Government of Bihar’s programme to upgrade all state highways to standard two-lane widths and improve road safety. The improved roads will enhance connectivity in some of Bihar poorest rural districts and promote access to health and education facilities, and markets to improve people’s lives.

“Besides upgrading roads, the ADB project builds on earlier efforts to enhance the state road agency’s management and implementation capacity and will strengthen the systems for planning, road safety, and sustainability,” said Mr. Konishi.

Among the Initiatives to strengthen the state road agency, Bihar State Road Development Corporation Limited, will include developing a road asset management system which includes climate change and disaster risk information, establishing research laboratories in the Bihar Road Research Institute to enable investigation of materials, including reusable, and sustainable materials, to alleviate the effects of climate change, conducting studies on congestion management and climate adaptation, and creating guidelines for gender-inclusive practices in road safety measures.

The project will also encourage women’s participation by providing employment to female workers in construction works. Trainings in livelihood as well as awareness on road safety, health, hygiene, abuse and harassment will be offered to women from communities in the project areas.

Since 2008, ADB has provided five loans totaling $1.63 billion to the state of Bihar, for upgradation of about 1,696 kilometer state highways and construction of a new bridge over the Ganga River.

Loan financing for state highways upgrades enables climate-resilient design and strengthened road agency capacity and promotes inclusive employment. A multilateral development bank and the national government executed a loan agreement to upgrade state highways with climate- and disaster-resilient design and road safety measures, standardising lanes to improve rural connectivity. The project conditions require strengthening the state road agency through a road asset management system incorporating climate risk, research laboratories for sustainable materials, congestion and climate adaptation studies, gender-inclusive road safety guidelines, and measures to increase women's employment and provide related trainings.