Greenfield Expressway promises drive from Delhi to Kolkata in 17 hours

The proposed Varanasi-Kolkata Greenfield Expressway is expected to reduce travel time between the two metropolitan cities by six to seven hours.

The Union Secretary for Road Transport and Highways approved the layout of the expressway in September 2021, which will connect key cities and reduce travel time and cost. The Rs 3,000 crore expressway is expected to be ready by 2026.

The journey will pass through Mohania, Rohtas, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Gaya, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ramgarh, Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Howrah, and Hoogly, offering an "aerial" experience for travelers who will appreciate the speed at which they can complete the journey.

Currently, the most commonly used highway for traveling to Kolkata is the NH-19, which also falls within the Golden Quadrilateral. This highway mostly includes six-lane sections with a few four-lane sections. However, the Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway promises to reduce the travel time between the two cities by a few hours, providing a more efficient mode of transportation for travelers.

According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the controlled access highway from Varanasi to Kolkata will start from the Varanasi bypass and meet NH-16 near West Bengal's Uluberia in Howrah district. An 80-km stretch from Tilouth to Imamganj in Bihar is to be acquired for the construction, for which the process is underway.

Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said that the initial demarcation of the land has been done at Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh near Varanasi, and a detailed report on the project is awaited. The expressway is expected to significantly benefit the regions it passes through, facilitating faster transportation and reducing costs.