Published On:
February 11, 2026
Updated On:
February 11, 2026
The Uttar Pradesh government has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to construct 12 new expressways, further cementing its status as "Expressway Pradesh." This massive infrastructure push, including the 700-km Gorakhpur-Shamli Expressway and interstate corridors to Kolkata and Siliguri, aims to connect every district, boost the state's trillion-dollar economy goal, and revolutionize real estate and tourism.
Once termed a "Bimaru" state, Uttar Pradesh has undergone a radical transformation over the last decade, earning the new moniker of "Expressway Pradesh." With an operational network that already includes the Yamuna, Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand Expressways, the state has set the benchmark for highway infrastructure in India. But the government is not hitting the brakes just yet.
In a move that promises to redraw the economic map of North India, the Uttar Pradesh government has planned the construction of 12 new expressways. This next phase of infrastructure expansion is not merely about adding kilometers of asphalt; it is a strategic initiative designed to ensure that no district in the state is left unconnected. From the Nepal border in the north to the mineral-rich Vindhya region in the south, these new corridors are set to propel UP toward its goal of becoming a one trillion-dollar economy by 2027-28.
The philosophy behind this massive expansion is "saturation connectivity." While the first phase of expressways connected major metropolitan hubs (Delhi, Lucknow, Agra), this second phase focuses on the hinterlands, border districts, and religious circuits.
The plan effectively creates a grid that integrates the state's remote eastern and southern districts with the National Capital Region (NCR) and neighboring states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand. For the real estate sector, logistics industry, and tourism, this signals the opening of untapped markets that were previously inaccessible due to poor infrastructure.
Among the proposed projects, the Gorakhpur-Shamli Expressway stands out as the most ambitious. Spanning approximately 700 kilometers, it is set to become the longest expressway in the state, surpassing the 594-km Ganga Expressway.
Uttar Pradesh is landlocked, sharing borders with nine states and one country (Nepal). The new roadmap aggressively targets these border connections to facilitate trade.
This is a game-changer for the eastern trade corridor. Starting from Chandauli near Varanasi, this expressway will cut through Bihar and Jharkhand to reach Kolkata in West Bengal. It will slash travel time between the spiritual capital of India (Varanasi) and the cultural capital (Kolkata) from 14 hours to just 6-7 hours, unlocking the export potential of Eastern UP.
Continuing the eastern push, this expressway will connect Gorakhpur to Siliguri in West Bengal, passing through northern Bihar. It is strategically vital, acting as a gateway to India's North East, and will massively boost trade with Nepal and Bangladesh.
To the south, this greenfield corridor will serve as a high-speed link between Western UP and Madhya Pradesh, further integrating the tourism circuit of the Taj Mahal with the historic forts of Gwalior.
A major criticism of early highway projects was that they often bypassed important regional hubs. The new plan addresses this with a series of shorter "Link Expressways" designed to feed traffic from remote districts onto the main arterial networks.
The roadmap also includes the Vindhya Expressway, a project aimed at the mineral-rich and tribal-dominated regions of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra. Historically neglected, this region powers the state's energy needs. A high-speed corridor here will facilitate industrial investments and tourism to sites like the Vindhyachal temple.
Furthermore, the upgrade of the Braj 84 Kos Parikrama Marg into a world-class highway is a nod to the booming religious tourism sector. By improving connectivity around Mathura and Vrindavan, the state aims to offer a seamless experience to the millions of pilgrims who visit the region annually.
For investors, these 12 new expressways represent the next big wave of opportunity.
While the announcement is visionary, the execution will face hurdles, primarily in land acquisition. Acquiring fertile agricultural land for projects like the Gorakhpur-Shamli expressway will require careful negotiation and substantial compensation packages to avoid farmer unrest.
However, the state government's track record with the Ganga and Bundelkhand Expressways—where land acquisition was completed in record time—instills confidence. The target is to have many of these projects in advanced stages of construction or completion by 2027-28.
The planning of these 12 new expressways is a statement of intent. It signifies that Uttar Pradesh is moving beyond the phase of "catching up" to a phase of "leading" India's infrastructure growth. By weaving a web of concrete that touches every border and district, the state is not just building roads; it is building the arteries of a modern, trillion-dollar economy. For the people of UP, the distance between dreams and reality is shrinking—one kilometer at a time.
