Summary:
LUCKNOW: Road journey from Lucknow to Sultanpur will now become safer, smoother and faster. But despite beginning the basic work, NHAI hit a roadblock due to some land acquisition issues with the defence department. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has completed the widening of 125km National Highway-56 stretch from Lucknow to Sultanpur from two to four lanes.According to NHAI officials, around 10,000 vehicles ply on this route daily. With the addition of two lanes, the journey time from Lucknow to Varanasi will come down from six hours to four hours.Until now, the stretch remained congested due to heavy vehicular rush, many railway crossings and roadside markets.The approval for widening NH-56 was given during UPA regime in 2013. With the change of central government in 2014, the proposal for 4-lane NH-56 was sent again for the Centre's approval.After the nod from Union Cabinet in May 2016, the construction resumed in January 2017.NHAI has built one railway overbridge, four vehicle underpasses, 0 pedestrian underpasses and a service road on the widened stretch to decongest traffic.Union home minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the widened stretch on March 7..