Varanasi–Kolkata Expressway

Varanasi–Kolkata Expressway, also known as Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Expressway numbered as NH-319B, is an under-construction 710 km (440 mi) long, six-lane, greenfield access-controlled expressway, which will connect the spiritual city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with the capital of West Bengal, Kolkata, through the capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi. It will run almost parallel to the Grand Trunk Road or the Asian Highway 1, and will pass through four states–Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The expressway is a part of Bharatmala Pariyojana, and it will reduce both travel time and distance, from 14-15 hours to only 10-11 hours. It will start from Chandauli district in Uttar Pradesh, and will terminate near Sarisha, nearDiamond Harbour, West Bengal.
The foundation stone for the expressway's construction was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 February 2024. To be built at a cost of about ₹35,000 crore (US$4.1 billion), it is expected to be completed by 2026/27.
The Government of India has given special emphasis on infrastructure development in FY 2022–23. To improve connectivity, tourism, development and economic growth in eastern India, the Government of India planned to build a new expressway from Varanasi to Kolkata through Ranchi. The expressway is expected to cut travel time from 12 to 14 hours to 6–7 hours, and from 690 km (430 mi) to 610 km (380 mi). It will pass through four states–Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Once completed, these states will see exponential growth with the growth of industries and socio-economic development by promoting employment among people living in the regions, which the regions currently mostly lack altogether. The expressway was earlier slated to be eight-lane, but was reduced six lanes due to lack of space. It was initially planned to be built at a cost of ₹23,500 crore (US$2.7 billion), and will be completed by 2027, which was earlier scheduled in the first quarter of 2026. On 23 February 2024, the foundation stone for the construction was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its first package till Bihar, to be built at a cost of about ₹35,000 crore (US$4.1 billion).
The western terminus of the expressway will be located in Chandauli district near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The western end of the expressway near Barhuli village will be connected with the National Highway 19 (NH-19) and the Varanasi Ring Road. The expressway will cover a total distance of 22 km (14 mi) within Uttar Pradesh.
The expressway will cross the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border and will enter through Kaimur district of Bihar. It will cross the state through the districts of Kaimur, Aurangabad, Rohtas and Gaya. The expressway will cover a total distance of 169 km (105 mi) within Bihar.
The expressway will cross the Bihar-Jharkhand border and will enter the Chatra district of Jharkhand. It will cross the state through the districts of Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh and Bokaro. The expressway will cover a total distance of 196 km (122 mi) within Jharkhand.
The eastern terminus of the expressway will be located at Haldia, West Bengal with an extended route including a Vertical Lift Bridge on Hooghly River to connect Sarisha near Diamond Harbour . It will cross the state through the districts of Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly and Purba Medinipur. The expressway will cover a total distance of 323 km (201 mi) within West Bengal.
The expressway will be fully six-lane and a greenfield project, and will be built using the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) construction model, which provides and ensures security, liability caps, and a performance guarantee for an infrastructure. For the project, the soil testing work in Jharkhand was conducted in June 2022. It will run almost parallel with the National Highway 19 (NH-19), or the Asian Highway 1 or the Grand Trunk Road. The land acquisition process started in January 2022 on an 80-km section of the expressway, from Tilouthu to Imamganj in Bihar. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) released tenders and invited bids in November 2022 for the construction of the expressway. As of March 2023, the project has been divided into 13 packages, and the package division for the West Bengal section is still underway. In Package-1, NHAI issued global tenders, and allocated ₹ 988 crore for the construction of the 27 km stretch from Varanasi Ring Road in Uttar Pradesh to Khainti village in Bihar, and in Package-2, ₹ 945 crore has been allocated for the construction of another 27 km stretch from Khainti village to Palka village in Bihar, wherein it will be built using the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) mode of construction. In the West Bengal section, the Government of West Bengal has directed 6 districts of the state to carry out land acquisition for the project, and is underway. Currently, the project is under Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation and land acquisition. The foundation stone for the expressway's construction by starting from the first package was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024. The following table list the project's packages, contractors and their statuses.
The remaining stretch till Kolkata is under package division, land acquisition may start soon as DPR preparation is finished.
The expressway will benefit eastern India along with the entire country as follows: