Work on Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata expressway to begin in Jan

Construction of a six-lane Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata expressway is set to commence in January 2023, as the work order will be allotted by next month. Earlier, this month, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had floated global tenders to build the 54-km initial stretch, starting from Varanasi. This includes a 27-km stretch between Varanasi Ring Road and Chandauli-Chainpur Road in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at a cost of Rs 9.88 billion. Another tender involves a 27-km stretch from Chandauli-Chainpur Road to the junction with Bhabhua-Adhaura Road in Bihar at a cost of Rs 9.45 billion. Both the packages are to be built on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), which requires the construction company to design, build, operate and then transfer the asset to the NHAI for toll collection. The NHAI is scheduled to select the qualified construction firm and allot the work order in last week of December this year. The 610-km-long greenfield expressway has been planned under Bharatmala Pariyojna (BMP) Phase-2 to provide smooth connectivity to the northern and eastern regions of the country. Starting at the junction of NH19 and Varanasi Ring Road, the access-controlled expressway passes through Bihar and Jharkhand before terminating at NH-16 near Uluberia in Howrah district in West Bengal. See also: Tunnels Across Major Passes In Ladakh In OffingMumbai’s western suburbs to get bulk of road upgrade funds