The National Highway connecting Lucknow, Ayodhya, and Gorakhpur in India is a 4-lane road project situated entirely within the state of Uttar Pradesh. A segment of National Highway-28 (NH28), this 252-km road initiative establishes a connection between the state capital, Lucknow, and the global pilgrimage center, Ayodhya, before extending further to Gorakhpur. Plans are underway to expand this 4-lane road project to a 6-lane configuration, driven by the expected surge in traffic, particularly following the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Lucknow-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur National Highway: Key facts
Lane: The road project was turned into a 4-lane project during the time of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpai. It might be soon turned into a 6-lane road project. Once the proposal gets a final approval, it might take three years to complete the construction work.
Travel time: The distance between Lucknow and Gorakhpur can be covered between 4 and 6 hours at present. To reach Ayodhya from Lucknow, it might take over 2 and a half hours. To reach Ayodhya from Gorakhpur, it would take about the same time. If the highway is turned into a 6-lane project, the travel time may reduce considerably.
Cities covered: The cities covered by the Lucknow-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur National Highway include Lucknow, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti and Gorakhpur.
Traffic: At least 80 vehicles move on this highway stretch in a minute.
Impact on connectivity, real estate
According to the World Bank, which funded the project, the road provided “a much-needed speed on the existing NH-28 and better connectivity and safety to the settlements present along the project road due to proposed service roads and vehicular as well as pedestrian/cattle underpasses”. The Lucknow-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur National Highway also decongested cities such as Barabanki, Ramsanehighat and Gorakhpur.
The impact on the highway project has been significant on real estate across the cities it covers, with special positive impact seen in cities of Lucknow and Ayodhya, where property prices have jacked up phenomenally in the past one decade.
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