PRAYAGRAJ, July 23 -- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet's approval of the proposed Rs.26,315-crore Greenfield Vindhya Expressway and the Vindhya-Purvanchal Link Expressway has raised hopes in Prayagraj. Stakeholders said the projects would boost religious tourism, trade, investment and regional connectivity. The cabinet recently approved the 333-km Vindhya Expressway and the 117-km Vindhya-Purvanchal Link Expressway as part of the state's expanding expressway network. Once completed, the corridor will improve road connectivity between Prayagraj and the Vindhya region. It will also provide faster access to neighbouring districts and the Chhattisgarh border. Under the plan, the Vindhya Expressway will start from the terminal point of the Ganga Expressway in Prayagraj. It will pass through Gyanpur in Bhadohi district, Chunar, Robertsganj and Renukoot before ending at Babhani near the Chhattisgarh border. Tourism stakeholders said the project would strengthen Prayagraj's position as a major religious tourism hub. It will improve access to key pilgrimage destinations in the Vindhya region. Nilesh Narayan, a tour operator with Holy Waters Journey, said Prayagraj's religious significance, along with events such as the Mahakumbh and Magh Mela, has made it a leading pilgrimage destination. "Better connectivity would also bring lesser-known religious and rural destinations along the route into the tourism circuit," he said. Industry representatives said the expressway would boost industrial and commercial activity....