The government has expedited the development of the 68 km greenfield Ayodhya bypass project to alleviate congestion in the holy city and enhance economic, social, and logistics connectivity across multiple districts in the region. The project has been identified as a critical infrastructure initiative under the PM GatiShakti initiative, aimed at accelerating implementation and planning.
The Ayodhya Bypass Project, with a total length of 67.57 km, includes the construction of a 4/6 Lane Northern Ayodhya Bypass (35.40 km) and a 4/6 Lane Southern Ayodhya Bypass (32.172 km). The project will cover key districts such as Lucknow, Basti, and Gonda, facilitating improved connectivity to economic, social, and logistics nodes, including tourist and pilgrimage sites in these districts.
Ayodhya, situated between Lucknow and Gorakhpur, serves as a critical passage for major commodities such as leather, engineering goods, building materials, iron, and steel. The bypass is expected to enhance uninterrupted freight flows, decongest the city, and reduce travel time to critical national highways.
The project aims to cater to the forecasted increase in passenger and freight vehicle movement, providing seamless connectivity to national highways and enhancing multi-modality with integrated infrastructure like railway stations and an airport in Ayodhya.
The Ayodhya bypass project is envisioned to complement other proposed projects, including the Prayagraj-Raibareili Project, Gorakhpur-Siliguri Corridor, and Gorakhpur-Bareilly Corridor. The redevelopment of the Ayodhya Railway Station is also part of the larger plan to modernize infrastructure and improve connectivity in the region.
(With Agency Inputs)