VARANASI, Sept. 25 -- The Package-I of Ghazipur-Ballia Greenfield Highway (NH-31), extending up to the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border, is set to open for trial traffic from October 1, 2026. NHAI Azamgarh project director Piyush Agrawal stated that vehicular movement during the trial run will be permitted on the highway section chainage 0+000 to 34+773. Designated entry and exit points have been arranged for passenger convenience and safe traffic operations. NHAI has also sought police patrolling and support from the Ghazipur district administration and police department to ensure smooth traffic flow and road safety. NHAI director appealed to travellers and local residents to use only the designated entry and exit points during the trial run, follow road safety rules and cooperate in ensuring smooth and safe traffic movement on the highway. As the first phase of the trial run will remain open only up to chainage 34+773, with no exit point available beyond it, entry and exit arrangements have been made at designated locations for the convenience of travellers. These include Sarai Bandi on the Varanasi-Gorakhpur Highway, Ghazipur-Kasimabad Road, Yusufpur-Kasimabad Road, Parsa-Barachawar Block Road, the Purvanchal Expressway flyover for travel towards Lucknow, and Latudih-Pradhanpur Road, he said. NHAI officials said that it has been observed that some local residents, particularly women and children, are using the newly constructed highway for evening walks, jogging, cycling, and playing. He warned that vehicular movement would begin with the trial run on October 1, 2026, and such activities on the main carriageway could pose a serious risk of accidents. Therefore, NHAI has appealed to local residents and the general public to refrain from walking, jogging, cycling or playing on the highway's main carriageway in the interest of their safety and that of their families. It also urged people not to remove, damage or tamper with barricades installed for traffic and road safety....