The World Bank is extending a loan of $620 million for upgrading the National Highway 28 stretch between Lucknow and Bihar's Muzaffarpur as part of the National Highways Authority of India's East-West corridor plan. This is the fourth World Bank loan for the National Highways Development Project and comes from its lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It has a 20-year maturity with a five-year grace period. NH-28 passes through some of the most densely populated and poor areas. The upgrade is expected to open up access and improve journey time of goods and people, giving a boost to the regional economy. It is also expected to speed up access to the economically backward areas of the North-East. These areas are expected to benefit directly from the improved physical access as well as indirectly from the spur to growth.