 "NHAI borrowings jump a little over 18 times to Rs 620 billion since 2014")
The proposed Varanasi-Kolkata greenfield expressway could make a Delhi-Kolkata trip possible in just 17 hours, according to a Times of India report. Currently, it takes several more hours to cover the route.
At present, the Purvanchal, Lucknow-Agra, and Yamuna Expressways make it possible for a traveller to cover the Delhi-Varanasi journey in just over 10 hours.
The Varanasi-Kolkata expressway is expected to become operational by 2026, officials said. It could cut the travel time between the cities to 6-7 hours. The structural layout of the Rs 3,000-crore expressway was approved in September 2021 led by the union road transport and highways secretary.
The project is expected to connect several key cities and towns and reduce travel time significantly. The expressway will pass through Mohania, Rohtas, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Gaya, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ramgarh, Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, and Howrah.
The demarcation of land for the project has been initiated in Chandauli, but a detailed project report is awaited, the report said.
Travellers from Varanasi to Kolkata have to travel through NH-19 which forms a part of the Golden Quadrilateral. The NH-19 is six-lane, with many four-lane stretches.
The expressway from Varanasi to Kolkata will start from Varanasi Ring Road in Chandauli district and meet NH-16 near Uluberia, a town in West Bengal's Howrah district, The National Highways Authority of India said.
