Stories
Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway: Siliguri in 8 Hours at 120 Kmph, 32000 Crore Project Underway
- •The 520 km long Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway is under construction at a cost of Rs 32,000 crore.
- •The expressway will start from Jagdishpur in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, pass through Bihar, and reach West Bengal.
- •It is part of the second phase of the Bharatmala Project, connecting Uttar Pradesh to the Northeast.
- •The 6-lane expressway will have a maximum speed limit of 120 kmph, reducing travel time from 15 hours to 6-8 hours.
- •Siliguri is strategically and economically vital for India, connecting the mainland to the northeastern states.
Key Questions Answered
Once completed, vehicles will be able to travel at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. This high-speed corridor will reduce the current 15-hour travel time between Gorakhpur and Siliguri to just 6 to 8 hours.
The six-lane expressway starts from Jagdishpur in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, passes through several districts in Bihar's Mithila and Seemanchal regions, and extends to Darjeeling and Siliguri in West Bengal. Major districts along the route include Kushinagar, West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Araria, and Kishanganj.
Often referred to as India's 'Chicken Neck', the Siliguri Corridor is a very thin strip of land in West Bengal near the India-Nepal border that serves as the sole land route connecting the country's mainland to its eight northeastern states.
