The 750-kilometre access- controlled expressway linking Panipat in Haryana with Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh is set to reshape connectivity, trade and movement across 18 districts in UP. One district en route is in Uttarakhand.
The alignment is now finalised and construction is expected to begin within the current financial year. An access-controlled expressway is a type of highway designed for high-speed vehicular traffic.
The project is coming up in two phases and is conceived as a highspeed greenfield facility. “The alignment is done. We expect the work on the project will begin within this fiscal,” said Gautam Vishal, chief general manager and regional officer, NHAI.
Phase one, which will be 348.039 km in length, will connect Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur, according to the project details. The corridor will feature grade-separated interchanges for seamless traffic flow, improved safety and operational efficacy, while reducing congestion and travel time, Vishal added.
Phase two, which will be 397.137 km in length, will connect Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthanagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Kushinagar. In total, around 600 km of the expressway will pass through 18 UP districts.
{{/usCountry}}Phase two, which will be 397.137 km in length, will connect Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthanagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Kushinagar. In total, around 600 km of the expressway will pass through 18 UP districts.
{{/usCountry}}Phase one will have three animal underpasses located where animal movement is high and via the underpass, animal movement will remain normal. In phase two, there will be one animal underpass.
East UP districts have trade activities in handicrafts, textiles, and agro-based products, with districts specialising under the ‘One District, One Product’ scheme such as Kala Namak rice in Siddharthnagar, which is much in demand and even exported. With the new expressway, new trade avenues will open.
Panipat, one of the districts in Haryana, has over 4,000 industrial units, including textile, agro-based, wood-based/furniture, and paper industries. A large number of labourers from UP go there to work in Haryana. Better connectivity will open new avenues for trade between the two states. The construction work will be divided into several packages. Each could be a 50-km to 70-km stretch.