Patna: With Patna Metro services now extended from Patliputra Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) to Malahi Pakri, the focus has shifted to the project’s most challenging phase — the construction of the underground sections of Corridors I and II, which will connect key parts of the city while minimising disruption to traffic.To ensure the work does not affect traffic on Nehru Path, one of Patna’s busiest arterial roads, the urban development and housing department on Thursday initiated a comprehensive traffic management plan for the next phase of construction.At a meeting chaired by urban development and housing minister Nitish Mishra, officials reviewed measures to ease traffic congestion during the proposed underground tunnelling between Vidyut Bhawan and Rukanpura under Corridor I. As the tunnel will pass beneath Nehru Path, the minister directed officials to ensure public convenience remains the top priority throughout the construction period.Nitish said infrastructure development and efficient traffic management must go hand in hand and asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the executing agency for the project, to conduct a detailed survey of the construction zone. Based on the findings, DMRC has been asked to submit a comprehensive traffic management and construction plan within 15 days, covering diversion routes, traffic regulation measures and coordination among all departments concerned.Meanwhile, construction is progressing rapidly on Corridor II, where the 8-km underground stretch from Rajendra Nagar to Patna Junction is expected to transform east-west connectivity in the capital. The section will have six underground stations — Rajendra Nagar, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna University, PMCH, Gandhi Maidan and Akashvani — before terminating at the underground Patna Junction interchange station.Once completed, commuters will be able to travel directly from Patna Junction to ISBT without changing trains. The entire Blue Line will then span about 14.5km with the underground section targeted for completion by the end of 2026.The project recently achieved its seventh tunnel breakthrough after Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)-04 completed excavation of the 681-metre downline tunnel between Moin-ul-Haq Stadium and Rajendra Nagar metro stations. Parallel tunnelling by TBM-03 on the upline is expected to be completed within the next few weeks before the machine is shifted to the next section. The underground alignment will connect to Malahi Pakri through a ramp at Rajendra Nagar Metro Station.Metro officials said, “The TBMs are also working on the stretch between Gandhi Maidan and Akashwani. Civil work has progressing simultaneously at all underground metro stations.” They added the target is to complete the project by the end of 2026.The meeting was attended by MLAs Shyam Rajak, Ratnesh Kumar, Sanjeev Chaurasia and Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary of the urban development and housing department Vinay Kumar, Patna mayor Sita Sahu, deputy mayor Reshmi Kumari, inspector general of police Jitendra Rana and senior officials.
