750 km long, passes through 22 districts, links 5 major highways: Shamli–Gorakhpur expressway to reshape travel in UP, improve access to THESE places

Planned to link western Uttar Pradesh with districts near the Nepal border in the east, the project is being seen as a key backbone road that will greatly cut travel time between different regions of the state.

A major road project in Uttar Pradesh has taken an important step forward. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway has now been completed, bringing the project closer to execution. Once completed, the expressway is expected to become a major backbone road for Uttar Pradesh, improving travel, boosting trade, and linking large parts of the state through fast and reliable highways.

Key details of Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway

• The expressway will be about 750 kilometres long
• It will be a six-lane, high-speed road
• The estimated cost is around Rs. 35,000 crore
• The project will be built and monitored by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
• Responsibility for the project has been given to NHAI’s Roorkee unit

Why is Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway important

The Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway is planned as a major east–west road link across Uttar Pradesh.

• It will connect western Uttar Pradesh to districts near the Nepal border in the east
• Travel time across the state is expected to reduce sharply
• It will make long-distance road journeys faster and smoother

Expected timeline

• The expressway could be completed in about three years
• Once opened, it will improve road access to Delhi, Dehradun and Mussoorie
• Villages, towns and business areas along the Ganga belt are expected to benefit from better transport and trade

Link with other expressways

Uttar Pradesh is building a wide network of expressways, and this road will play a key role.

• The Ganga Expressway (Prayagraj–Meerut) is already under progress
• Plans are in place to extend it from Prayagraj to Ballia and also extend it from Meerut to Haridwar
• Together with the Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway, these roads will create a strong, connected expressway network across the state

Districts on the Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway

The proposed expressway will pass through 22 districts, including:

• Shamli
• Saharanpur
• Muzaffarnagar
• Bijnor
• Amroha
• Rampur
• Bareilly
• Sitapur
• Lucknow
• Bahraich
• Siddharthnagar
• Sant Kabir Nagar
• Gorakhpur

Major road connections on Shamli–Gorakhpur Expressway

The expressway will connect with five key routes, making travel easier across northern India:

• Ganga Expressway
• Purvanchal Expressway
• Lucknow–Gorakhpur Expressway
• Ambala–Shamli Expressway
• Delhi–Dehradun Expressway