The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated seven National Highway projects with an investment of Rs 6,500 crore, at Ballia’s Chitbada village in Uttar Pradesh.
Besides reducing traveling distance, the highway connectivity would also facilitate the Ballia farmers to transport vegetables to the mandis of Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna easily.
Speaking on the occasion Gadkari said that with the construction of Ballia Link Expressway, it will be possible to reach Patna from Lucknow through Purvanchal Expressway, in just four and a half hours.
He said Ballia to Buxar can be reached in half an hour, Ballia to Chhapra in one hour and Ballia to Patna in one and half hours.
With the construction of Greenfield Highway, eastern Uttar Pradesh will get better connectivity with Chhapra, Patna, and Buxar in Bihar, he added.
The Minister added that vegetable producing farmers will get direct benefit of three multimodal terminals Varanasi, Ghazipur and Haldia through this expressway.
Gadkari said the greenfield road from Chandauli to Mohania being constructed at a cost of Rs 130 crore, will provide connectivity to Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh and Kaimur district of Bihar through the Delhi-Kolkata GT Road.
The Minister also said that with the construction of Saidpur to Mardah road, there will be direct connectivity of Mau to Varanasi via Saidpur.
Due to better connectivity with other cities, the state’s economic and social condition will improve, and backward areas of Azamgarh district will also get new connectivity, he added.
On the occasion, Gadkari also announced the new connectivity route between Ballia-Ara through a 28 km greenfield spur road at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.