Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 21 projects, at an estimated cost of more than Rs 9,400 crore at Dhruva in Ranchi, on Thrusday (23 March).
The projects are expected to ensure a smooth and faster drive from Ranchi to Varanasi and aims to set up an economic corridor between Dhanbad and Raipur among other road connectivity initiatives in Jharkhand.
Gadkari said that with the construction of 260 km four-lane inter-corridor from Ranchi to Varanasi at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore, Ranchi to Varanasi can be reached in 5 hours.
He said the 635 km, 4-lane Raipur-Dhanbad Economic Corridor will facilitate transportation of coal, steel, cement and other minerals.
Gadkari also inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 10 National Highway (NH) projects of 220 km at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, at a cost of Rs 3,843 crore on Thursday (23 March).
At the occasion, Gadkari said that with the construction of Jharkhand’s first four-lane double-decker elevated road from Kali Mandir to Baliguma on Ranchi-Jamshedpur road at a cost of Rs 1,876 crore, the journey of 45 minutes will be covered in 5 minutes.
The Minister said Ranchi to Jamshedpur Inter Corridor will improve connectivity to West Bengal-Odisha. This corridor will bypass Ranchi city and connect Delhi-Kolkata Highway (NH-2) and East-West Corridor (NH-6), providing Jamshedpur-Kolkata direct connectivity.
This route from Hatgamharia to Bokna Hathichowk (NH-320G) in West Singhbhum district will provide better connectivity to Naxal-affected areas and aspirational districts with the construction of Kolavira road, he added.