Context: Recently, construction has started on a 2.89 km underpass tunnel on National Highway 31, which will pass right under the runway of Varanasi International Airport.
More on the News:
- It is designed to revolutionise both road connectivity and airport operations simultaneously.
- The tunnel is the first-of-its-kind in India and is being built at a cost of Rs 250 crore and it is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027.
About the Runway Underpass Project
- Of the total 2.89 km stretch, a 450-meter tunnel will be built within the airport boundary, enabling highway traffic to pass smoothly underground while aircraft operate safely overhead.
- The tunnel will eliminate surface-level vehicular movement near the runway, providing a safer and more efficient environment for airport expansion.
- While Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport features a road passing through a taxiway, Varanasi will be the first airport to route a national highway directly beneath an active runway.
- After traffic is shifted underground, the Airports Authority of India will extend Varanasi airport’s existing 2,745m runway to 4,075m.
- This extended runway will accommodate Code E aircraft, including large wide-body jets like the Boeing 777-337, enabling greater passenger capacity and improved long-haul connectivity.
