Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway: E-Way Passing Through Bihar, Jharkhand To Cut Travel Time To 6 Hours | Check Route, Distance

In a major infrastructure push in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the construction of the long-awaited Varanasi-Kolkata expressway is gaining momentum rapidly. The project is expected to boost both connectivity and economic activities in the eastern part of the country. The project will traverse through the hinterlands of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Additionally, several commercial setups like restaurants, hospitals, schools and petrol pumps are also expected to crop up along the route. Currently, it takes 12 to 14 hours to reach Kolkata from Varanasi. Once the project is completed, the same distance can be covered in 6 hours.

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Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway: Details

- Length: 610 kilometres, will end on NH-19.

- The expected cost of the project is 35,000 crore rupees and is built under the hyped Greenfield project. 

- The longest part of the expressway is in West Bengal (323 km), while the shortest stretch is in Uttar Pradesh (22 km). The expressway will cover 169 kilometers in Bihar and 196 kilometers in Jharkhand.

- The Varanasi-Kolkata expressway will connect Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, via Bihar and Jharkhand. 

- Additionally, the Expressway will connect Chandauli in Purvanchal to Uluberia near Kolkata and can prove to be a catalyst for the economy of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. 

- From Chandauli, the expressway will enter Bihar through Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad and Gaya before entering Jharkhand.

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- In Jharkhand, the expressway will connect the places Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Peterbar, Ranchi and Bokaro before reaching the Purulia border in West Bengal.

- From Purulia, the expressway will pass through Bankura and Arambagh to reach Uluberia (near Howrah). 

- The foundation stone of the project was laid in 2024 and land acquisition works were accelerated. 

- According to officials who are involved in the construction of the expressway, the project will be completed by March 2028.