Varanasi: If all goes well, a late-evening drive from Delhi could land you in Kolkata for lunch by 2026. The journey between Delhi and Varanasi has already become possible in a little over 10 hours via Purvanchal, Lucknow-Agra and Yamuna expressways. Now, the proposed Varanasi-Kolkata greenfield expressway would make Delhi-Kolkata trip possible in 17 hours. According to officials, the Rs 3000 crore 610km expressway project is expected to be operational by 2026. Besides curtailing the distance between Varanasi to Kolkata to 610 km from the present 690 km, the expressway will also cut the present travel time of 12-14 hours to 6-7 hours. The alignment of the proposed expressway was finalized and approved in a meeting held on September 7, 2021 under chairmanship of the secretary, road transport and highways, to connect important cities through the highway and its spurs to save the time and cost with optimal length.
The proposed expressway will pass through Mohania, Rohtas, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Gaya, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ramgarh, Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Hoolgly and Howrah.
Divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said that initial demarcation of land in the alignment of proposed expressway has been done in Chandauli but a detailed project report is awaited.
The proposed expressway will pass through Mohania, Rohtas, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Gaya, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ramgarh, Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Hoolgly and Howrah.
Divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said that initial demarcation of land in the alignment of proposed expressway has been done in Chandauli but a detailed project report is awaited.