Travel between Ayodhya and Varanasi is set to become faster and more convenient, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) begins planning a nearly 200-km high-speed access-controlled expressway connecting the two cities. The tender process has been initiated to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project.
Former MP Lallu Singh stated, “Upon completion, the distance from Ayodhya to Kashi can be covered in just two hours.” He added, “The expressway will connect to the Purvanchal Expressway, further enhancing connectivity from Ayodhya to Delhi.”
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is simultaneously executing several key projects in Ayodhya, including the 84 Kosi Parikrama Marg, Ram-Janaki Marg (Ayodhya to Janakpur), Ayodhya–Sultanpur, and Ayodhya–Jagdishpur Marg, alongside multiple overbridges and underpasses along the Lucknow Highway. The Ayodhya bypass has also been beautified at a cost of Rs 55 crore.
To address rising traffic, the city’s ring road project is progressing rapidly, and demarcation work is ongoing for the first phase of the Ayodhya–Prayagraj Greenfield Access-Control 6-lane highway up to Pratapgarh. Once completed, these projects will position Ayodhya as a major road connectivity hub in North India, boosting religious tourism and providing new impetus to trade and industry.