Lucknow: The Central Government has given its in-principle approval to Uttar Pradesh’s proposal to improve four-lane road connectivity to five districts that are yet to be fully linked with the state capital through high-capacity highways. The plan involves widening and upgrading 154.5 kilometres of National Highways (NHs), marking another step in the state’s infrastructure expansion.
The proposal was discussed during a recent meeting between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. According to state government officials, the Centre has responded positively, paving the way for detailed project planning and approvals.
The five districts identified for the connectivity upgrade are Pilibhit, Ballia, Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar and Balrampur, all of which currently lack uninterrupted four-lane connectivity with Lucknow.
Under the proposal, 12 kilometres of NH-30 in Pilibhit, 12.5 kilometres of NH-31 in Ballia, 21 kilometres of NH-730 in Maharajganj, 70 kilometres of NH-28 in Siddharthnagar, and 39 kilometres of NH-330 in Balrampur will be widened to four lanes. The state government expects the project to improve regional connectivity while boosting industrial activity, trade, tourism and overall socio-economic development.
The initiative forms part of a larger strategy to bridge remaining infrastructure gaps despite Uttar Pradesh’s rapid expansion of expressways in recent years. The government has identified 33 district headquarters that are still not connected to one another through continuous four-lane highways.
To address this, the state has proposed upgrading 2,576.18 kilometres of National Highway stretches that currently fall short of four-lane standards. Once completed, the project is expected to provide faster, safer and more efficient movement of passengers and freight between districts.
The proposed network includes improved connectivity on routes linking Amethi–Pratapgarh, Ambedkar Nagar–Sultanpur, Ayodhya–Gonda, Barabanki–Bahraich, Sultanpur–Amethi, Aligarh–Budaun, Agra–Etah, Mainpuri–Farrukhabad, Etawah–Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat–Hamirpur, Kanpur Nagar–Hamirpur, Gorakhpur–Maharajganj, Maharajganj–Kushinagar, Mahoba–Jhansi, Gonda–Basti, Balrampur–Gonda, Bahraich–Lakhimpur Kheri, Pratapgarh–Jaunpur, Prayagraj–Chitrakoot, Fatehpur–Banda, Pilibhit–Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur–Farrukhabad, Sant Kabir Nagar–Siddharthnagar, Siddharthnagar–Basti, Chitrakoot–Fatehpur, Banda–Mahoba, Hamirpur–Mahoba, Rae Bareli–Pratapgarh, Hardoi–Kannauj, Moradabad–Budaun, Meerut–Baghpat, Ghazipur–Jaunpur and Jaunpur–Prayagraj.
The state government also raised concerns about damage caused to state and rural roads during National Highway construction. Heavy vehicles transporting soil and construction material often use these roads, leading to deterioration without any dedicated funding mechanism for repairs. As a result, the financial burden of restoring damaged roads falls on the state government.
To address the issue, Uttar Pradesh has proposed that a suitable portion of toll revenue collected on National Highways be earmarked for repairing state and rural roads affected during highway construction. According to senior officials, the Centre has assured the state that the proposal will be examined, which could help establish a sustainable funding mechanism for road maintenance while reducing the state’s financial burden.
