Ayodhya, India: In a move that’s more thrilling than a Bollywood blockbuster, the PM GatiShakti initiative is shaking up project planning and implementation with its latest chartbuster – the Ayodhya Bypass Project. This new route is not just a road; it’s a highway to economic and social connectivity, weaving through multiple districts like a pro.
Over the last two years, 64 Network Planning Group (NPG) meetings have brainstormed over 131 infrastructure projects, with the Ayodhya Bypass stealing the limelight in the 52nd meet. This 67.57 km Greenfield project – comprising the 35.40 km Northern Ayodhya Bypass and the 32.172 km Southern Ayodhya Bypass – is more than just concrete and tar. It’s a lifeline linking Lucknow, Basti, and Gonda, promising to jazz up connectivity to economic hubs, social centers, and logistic nodes, including tourist and pilgrim hotspots.
Nestled between economic powerhouses Lucknow and Gorakhpur, Ayodhya is more than just a spiritual sanctuary. It’s a bustling thoroughfare for commodities like leather, engineering goods, and building materials. The bypass is set to streamline freight flow and give the city’s traffic jams a much-needed break.
The project envisions a future where passenger and freight vehicle movement skyrockets, targeting a leap from 89,023 in 2023 to a whopping 216,928 in 2033. The bypass promises a smoother flow around eight key areas, cutting down travel time to critical national highways and enhancing multi-modality with integrated infrastructure at Ayodhya Railway Station, Sohwal Railway Station, A N Dev Nagar Railway Station, Ayodhya Cantt Railway Station, and Ayodhya Airport.
This infrastructure extravaganza is part of a grander scheme, with siblings like the Prayagraj – Raibareili Project, Gorakhpur-Siliguri Corridor, and Gorakhpur-Bareilly Corridor adding to the family.
Ayodhya’s new international airport, Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, is not just a gateway for pilgrims but a hub for economic and cultural exchange. Meanwhile, the Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station is getting a swanky makeover, gearing up to handle 60 thousand commuters daily.
The station’s new avatar includes a three-story building with modern amenities like lifts, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, cloakrooms, childcare rooms, and waiting halls. It’s also eco-friendly, boasting ‘IGBC certified green station building’ status.
The Ayodhya Bypass Project is more than roads and railways; it’s a catalyst for efficiency. Expect a 5 km length reduction in travel, a staggering 66.67% cut in travel time, a 250% boost in average speed, and employment generation for 80 lakh person-days. Environmentally, it’s a hero too, aiming to slash fuel consumption by 50 lakhs liters annually and reduce carbon footprints by 1 Cr. Kg annually.
So, buckle up, Ayodhya! The future looks fast, efficient, and oh-so-smooth.
