Varanasi: The portion built in Package-I of the Ghazipur-Ballia (Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border) Greenfield Highway of National Highway-31 will be opened by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for a trial run from Oct 1.NHAI Azamgarh’s project director Piyush Agrawal on Thursday said vehicular movement will be permitted during the trial run in the particular stretch from chainage 0 to 34. To facilitate commuters and ensure safe traffic operations, entry and exit arrangements have been created. .As the route will be opened only up to chainage 34 in the initial phase of the trial run and no exit point is available beyond this stretch, entry and exit facilities have been provided at the locations including Sarai Bandi on the Varanasi-Gorakhpur Highway, Ghazipur-Kasimabad Road, Yusufpur-Kasimabad Road, Parsa-Barachawar Block Road, Purvanchal Expressway flyover for traffic towards Lucknow, and Latoodeeh-Pradhanpur Road.Officials said the arrangements are intended to guide traffic safely while the project stretch is assessed under real operating conditions before wider opening decisions are taken by the authority.NHAI has also issued a road safety appeal to local residents to avoid walking, jogging, cycling and playing on the newly built highway during the evening hours. Agrawal said these activities pose a serious accident risk and residents should avoid them for their safety.
