Sitapur Road Project: There’s good news for those traveling between Bareilly and Lucknow. Steps are being taken to convert the Bareilly-Sitapur National Highway into a six-lane road. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to soon begin the process of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for this. It is believed that a tender will be issued soon for the selection of a consultant agency.

Issue raised in the divisional meeting

In the divisional meeting held on Tuesday, Divisional Commissioner Bhupendra S. Chaudhary sought information from NHAI officials regarding the condition of this road. The meeting discussed the increasing traffic on the road and future needs. The Divisional Commissioner indicated that a formal letter would be sent to the NHAI headquarters in Delhi to expedite the process.

The journey from four lanes to six lanes

The approximately 156-kilometer-long Bareilly-Sitapur road was converted to four lanes about three years ago. However, some minor work is still pending in a few places. This road starts near Invertis University in Rajau Paraspur in the district and goes up to Sitapur, passing through the borders of Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, and Sitapur districts.

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Traffic pressure is increasing rapidly

In the past few years, the number of vehicles on this route has increased continuously. Currently, approximately 35,000 to 40,000 vehicles pass through this road every day. ​​Considering the increasing traffic and road safety, the four-lane road is no longer considered sufficient. The need is being felt to convert it into a six-lane road for the convenience of passengers and to reduce accidents.

NHAI’s stance and further process

NHAI officials informed the Divisional Commissioner that the final decision on road widening will be taken at the headquarters level. For this, a survey of the entire route will be conducted first, and a detailed project report will be prepared based on it. This work will be carried out only through a registered consultant agency. The budget approval and the direction of construction work will be decided only after the DPR is prepared. Why the possibility of a six-lane highway has strengthened

The area covered by NHAI’s Moradabad unit in Bareilly extends from the large bypass to Rajau Paraspur. This unit had expeditiously completed the four-lane project. Recently, the process of selecting a consultant agency for widening the highway between Moradabad and Bareilly to six lanes has been initiated. Meanwhile, the NHAI headquarters has also invited tenders for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the route from Sitapur to Lucknow. With the process initiated for these two sections, the possibilities of advancing the six-lane project for the Bareilly-Sitapur route have also strengthened.

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History of the Bareilly-Sitapur Four-Lane Project

The Bareilly-Sitapur route was initially planned to be a four-lane highway for Rs 2601 crore. Work on this project began on March 1, 2011, for which approximately 425 hectares of land were acquired. Initially, the work was entrusted to Bareilly Highway Project Limited, but the company abandoned the project midway.

Subsequently, in 2019, the project was awarded to Raj Corporation Limited of Agra. By 2022, the road became operational for vehicles, although work is still incomplete in some places.