New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday inaugurated seven national highway projects with an investment of Rs 6,500 crore in Chitbada village, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said with the construction of Ballia Link Expressway, it would 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 the greenfield highway, eastern Uttar Pradesh will get better connectivity with Chhapra, Patna, Buxar in Bihar, he added.
The Minister said vegetables of the farmers of Ballia would be able to reach the mandis of Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna easily. He said vegetable-producing farmers would get the direct benefit of three multi-modal 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 would provide connectivity to Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh and Kaimur district of Bihar through the Delhi-Kolkata GT Road. He said with the construction of Saidpur to Mardah road, there would be direct connectivity of Mau to Varanasi via Saidpur. He said due to better connectivity with other cities of the state economic and social condition of the state would improve as well as backward areas of Azamgarh district will get new connectivity.
On this occasion, Gadkari also announced the new connectivity route between Ballia-Ara through 28 km greenfield spur road at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
—ANI