Delhi-Siliguri Travel Time to Fall to 15-16 Hours With 8-State Mega Corridor

Three Expressways to Create a High-Speed Link From Ambala to Siliguri

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working on three expressway projects that will form a major corridor. The Ambala-Shamli-Gorakhpur-Siliguri Corridor will connect eight states through high-speed road links. It will cover Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The Delhi-Siliguri journey could drop from the current 28-32 hours to around 15-16 hours.

Three Expressways Will Form the Corridor

The proposed network will combine three major expressway projects:

• Ambala-Shamli Expressway: The approximately 122-km expressway will connect Ambala in Haryana with Shamli in Uttar Pradesh. It will provide direct entry into Uttar Pradesh for vehicles travelling from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
• Shamli-Gorakhpur Expressway: This approximately 740-km route will connect western Uttar Pradesh with eastern Uttar Pradesh. Once completed, it will be the longest expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
• Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway: The approximately 519-km expressway will connect Gorakhpur with Siliguri through north Bihar.

Eight States to Get High-Speed Connectivity

The corridor will link eight states and improve connections across several regions.

• Punjab: Punjab will get direct connectivity through the Ambala link.
• Chandigarh: Chandigarh will also connect directly through the Ambala link.
• Haryana: Ambala, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar will receive direct corridor connectivity.
• Delhi: Delhi will connect to the corridor through the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway interchange near Shamli.
• Uttarakhand: The Shamli connection will make travel towards Dehradun and Haridwar easier.
• Uttar Pradesh: The Shamli-Gorakhpur section will provide a direct route across 22 districts in the state.
• Bihar: Districts such as Kishanganj and Araria in north Bihar will get a high-speed corridor for the first time.
• West Bengal: Siliguri, known as the gateway to the Northeast, will mark the eastern end of the corridor.

Delhi-Siliguri Journey Could Take 15-16 Hours

The corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel times between several cities across the eight states. Delhi-Siliguri travel currently takes around 28-32 hours. The journey could take only 15-16 hours after the corridor becomes operational.

The Shamli-Gorakhpur journey could fall from 14-15 hours to 7-8 hours. Gorakhpur-Siliguri travel could reduce from 15-18 hours to around 7-7.5 hours.

The Ambala-Shamli journey could also drop from nearly three hours to around 1.25-1.5 hours.

Faster Connectivity Around Siliguri

Siliguri is an important link between the northeastern states and the rest of the country. The area is also known as the 'Chicken Neck'. Its strategic importance makes faster connectivity significant for military and strategic movement.

Heavy Vehicles Can Bypass Delhi

The corridor will provide an alternative high-speed route for heavy vehicles travelling from Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana towards eastern India. These vehicles will be able to reach eastern India without entering Delhi.