NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two national highways of a total length of 34 km in his constituency of Varanasi, on November 12, next Monday.
These highways are the 16.55-km Varanasi Ring Road Phase-1, which has been completed at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, and the Babatpur-Varanasi road on NH-56, which has been built at a cost of Rs 812.59 crore.
The Babatpur highway will link the holy city to the airport and connect Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. The opening of the road is expected to reduce the travel time from the city to the airport.
“This will prove to be a big relief to the people of Varanasi and to tourists and other visitors to the city,” an official in the ministry of road transport and highways said.
The prime minister will be accompanied by UP Governor Ram Naik, Union Minister for road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Ring Road, with two railway over bridges and a flyover, will provide a way for traffic on NH 56 (Lucknow-Varanasi), NH 233 (Azamgarh-Varanasi), NH 29 (Gorakhpur-Varanasi) and Ayodhya - Varanasi highways to bypass Varanasi city, thereby reducing traffic congestion in the city. It will also reduce travel time, fuel usage and pollution. The Ring Road will provide easier and more convenient access to Sarnath, an important pilgrimage site Buddhists.
With the next general elections round the corner, the Modi government is keen to push its infrastuctre projects in a bid to stay ahead of the poll curve.