The Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (UPPWD) will widen and strengthen two important highways leading to Nepal, based on the public-private-partnership (PPP) model. They are the 150-km-long Barabanki to Rupaidiha Road and 100-km-long Gorakhpur to Sanauli Road.

Rupaidiha and Sanauli towns, located on the India-Nepal border, are the most important transit points between India and Nepal. According to officials, most of the road traffic between the two countries passes through these routes.

The National Highway wing of UPPWD will soon send a proposal to the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry for the upgradation of these routes.

In fact, the Ministry had identified the highways — which are in a bad shape — and advised the UPPWD to send proposals for their widening and strengthening on a priority basis, said an official.

“To prepare detailed project reports, consultants will be appointed after getting the approval of the Ministry,” said Arun Kumar Sinha, Chief Engineer (National Highways), UPPWD. At present, the width of these two-lane sections is seven metres.

The UPPWD proposes to widen it to 10 metre at a cost of approximately Rs 500 crore, to be funded by the Centre.

Widening of the Gorakhpur-Sanauli section, which is part of National Highway 29, will also facilitate smooth flow of traffic to Varanasi. The Centre has already approved a proposal for widening the 209-km Gorakhpur-Varanasi section.

The Barabanki-Rupaidiha section, which is part of National Highway 28, connects Barabanki to Rupaidiha via Ghagra Ghat-Bahraich-Nanpara. From Barabanki to Kanpur via Lucknow, the highway is already being widened by the National Highways Authority of India.

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