Gorakhpur Link Expressway to reduce travel time and distance between Nepal and Delhi

Yogi government’s expressway reaches near the international border, boosting trade potential

Expressway will prove to be boon for tourists, pilgrims, and patients

Gorakhpur Link Expressway will strengthen cultural and economic relations with Nepal

Lucknow : The grand inauguration of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday marks a significant leap in regional connectivity, particularly for travelers to and from Nepal. With this, a vital expressway of Uttar Pradesh now extends close to the international border, enhancing travel convenience and opening up smoother access to New Delhi via the Purvanchal Expressway, Agra Expressway, and Yamuna Expressway.

Stretching 91 kilometres from Gorakhpur to Azamgarh, this four-lane expressway lies just 100 kilometres from the India-Nepal border. Its proximity makes it strategically crucial for India while significantly easing cross-border movement. The expressway is poised to significantly benefit international trade, tourism, and passenger transit.

Gorakhpur, connected to Nepal through the Sonauli border in Maharajganj, serves as a key gateway for tourists, pilgrims, and patients traveling between the two countries. The new expressway now enables a seamless journey from Gorakhpur to Lucknow in just three and a half hours, making it easier for people from Nepal to access Uttar Pradesh’s capital and onward to major cities like Delhi and Agra.

This route, in conjunction with the Purvanchal Expressway, provides fast, safe, and efficient connectivity for those entering India from Nepal by bus or taxi via Sonauli. It will notably reduce travel time for tourists coming from places like Lumbini, Pokhara, and Kathmandu—giving a major boost to tourism and cultural exchange.

From a strategic standpoint, the expressway’s alignment just 100 km from the Nepal border holds immense importance. It will enable faster military mobilization and resource deployment during emergencies, thereby strengthening national security. At the same time, it will facilitate smoother trade with Nepal, a country that relies heavily on India for imports.

Looking ahead, the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, alongside the upcoming Gorakhpur–Siliguri Expressway, will not only bolster India’s strategic posture but also transform the region into a hub for trade and connectivity. As the seventh operational expressway under the Yogi government’s ambitious infrastructure push, it exemplifies Uttar Pradesh’s emergence as ‘Expressway Pradesh’. The expressway will also generate local employment, encourage industrial growth, benefit farmers, and write a new chapter in deepening India-Nepal economic and cultural ties.