Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of the 7.2-km six-lane elevated Kona Expressway, worth Rs 1,200 crore, in West Bengal’s Howrah district.
It will enhance connectivity between Howrah, its surrounding rural areas, and Kolkata, saving travel time and giving a significant boost to trade, commerce, and tourism in the region, officials said.
Earlier, Modi inaugurated three new metro routes in Kolkata, including the first-ever direct link to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.
The PM waved a green flag to commence operations on the new routes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the various metro railway projects in Kolkata in line with his commitment to world-class infrastructure and developed urban connectivity.
He visited the Jessore Road Metro Station, where he inaugurated the Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro service from Jessore Road Metro Station and Sealdah-Esplanade metro service and the Beleghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro service.
In addition, through video conferencing, he flagged off the Sealdah-Esplanade metro service and the Beleghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro service. He also undertaken a metro ride from Jessore Road Metro Station to Jai Hind Bimanbandar and back.
The Sealdah-Esplanade metro will reduce the travel time between the two points from nearly 40 minutes to only 11 minutes. The Beleghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro section will play a crucial role in enhancing connectivity with the IT hub.
These metro routes will connect some of Kolkata’s busiest areas, bring a notable reduction in travel time, and strengthen multimodal connectivity, benefiting lakhs of daily commuters, added the release.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also visted Bihar and laid the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth around Rs 13,000 crore at Gaya. He flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express running from Gaya to Delhi.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Prime Minister said the Amrit Bharat Express is the country’s third modern train after the Vande Bharat and Namo Bharat trains. He added that this “tri-power” of trains would transform the Indian Railways.
Prime Minister along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today inaugurated the Aunta-Simaria bridge project constructed over the River Ganga on National Highway 31 in Begusarai.
Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, and Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary also attended the inauguration ceremony.
This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.