NEW DELHI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today inaugurated and also laid the foundation stone for several projects in Uttar Pradesh -- all totalling Rs 6,517 crore.These seven national highway (NH) projects have a total length of 246 km, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.In Maharajganj, Gadkari opened the newly widened and strengthened 26.9 km Urka-Ramnagar section and 33 km long Siswa Babu to Kaptanganj section of NH 730, it said.These projects cost Rs 369 crore.He also laid the foundation stone for widening and strengthening 21.12 km long Ramnagar-Siswa Babu section of NH 730 at a cost of Rs 193 crore."In Ghazipur, Gadkari laid the foundation stone for widening and strengthening of 65.38 km long Ghazipur-Mau section of NH 29 at a cost of Rs 3,580 crore, Hridaypur -Tikri Buzurg section of NH 97 and 56.2 km long Ghazipur-Jamania- Sayyadraja section of national highways," the statement said.In addition to this, the road transport and highways minister also laid the foundation stone for an Intermodal Terminal on National Waterways -I (River Ganga) at Ghazipur.This terminal is being constructed as part of the World Bank aided Jal Marg Vikas project and will provide intermodal transportation facility for cargo.The terminal will link the NW-I with NH 31, the statement said, adding that it will be very important for efficient movement of large and small cargo by providing the options for both land and water transportation or the option for intermodal switching.Gadkari also laid the foundation stone for "widening of 15 km long Deoria Byepass section of NH 727 A at a cost of Rs 600 crore and 27.75 km long Kaptanganj-Padrauna section of NH 730 at a cost of Rs 275 crore", the statement said.