Vehicles will soon start running on the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, with its inauguration planned for March. The work to secure the approach near Belghat is in its final stage.
The bridge corporation is building a three-tier barrier. The distance between Lucknow and Gorakhpur will be reduced, and travelers will be able to reach Lucknow in just 3.5 hours. Two utility centers will be built along the expressway, offering all necessary facilities.
Soon, vehicles will start moving at full speed on the Gorakhpur Link Expressway. The inauguration of this expressway is set for next month, March. On Monday, the Chief Secretary of the state and Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEDA), Manoj Kumar Singh, inspected the expressway.
The inauguration was initially planned for the first week of January, but it was delayed due to an issue with the approach near Belghat, where the Saryu River’s flow cut off the path. Now, the work to secure the approach is in its final stage.
The Chief Secretary arrived in Gorakhpur around 2:30 PM after inspecting the Purvanchal Expressway from Lucknow and the Gorakhpur Link Expressway starting from Azamgarh’s Salarpur. He inspected the work to redirect the Saryu River near the Kamhariyaghat Bridge in Belghat and the three-level safety barrier. He also visited the route near the Bhagwanpur Toll Plaza in Sahjanwa. During the inspection, several officials, including Commissioner Anil Dhingra and CDO Sanjay Kumar Meena, were present.
A three-level safety barrier is being built to secure the approach, costing 198 crores:
To secure the approach near Belghat on the Gorakhpur Link Expressway from the strong flow of the Saryu River, the Bridge Corporation is building a three-level safety barrier. First, sheet piles are being installed in the river like a wall near the approach. Then, textile tubes are being placed, and a dredger channel is being made to redirect the river’s flow and connect it to the main stream. This work, which started in December, is now almost complete. The project is costing 198 crores, and the Bridge Corporation is handling the work to secure the approach.
You will reach Lucknow in 3.5 hours :
The Gorakhpur Link Expressway starts at Jaitpur near Sahjanwa and connects to the Purvanchal Expressway at Salarpur in Azamgarh district. This 91.35 km long expressway, built at a cost of ₹7,283 crores, will directly benefit people from Gorakhpur, Ambedkarnagar, Santkabirnagar, and Azamgarh districts. While the formal inauguration hasn’t happened yet, traffic has already been using it for two months.
Once the expressway is fully operational, the journey to Lucknow will take just 3.5 to 4 hours. Though the expressway adds about 30 to 40 km compared to the route through Gorakhpur and Ayodhya, the journey time will be shorter due to the absence of any obstacles.
Two Utility Centers to be Built on Gorakhpur Link Expressway
Similar to the Agra and Yamuna Expressways, two utility centers will be built along the Gorakhpur Link Expressway.
Facilities at the Centers
These centers, planned to be built on 30 acres each, will offer petrol pumps, CNG pumps, hotels, restaurants, and a garage for vehicle repairs.
The first utility center will be in the Gorakhpur area, and the second one will be in Azamgarh. The Gorakhpur Link Expressway, which will make travel easier to Lucknow, Delhi, Varanasi, and Prayagraj, is expected to see a significant increase in traffic in the future. Keeping this in mind, the decision to build both utility centers was made in the UPEDA board meeting last month.
