New Delhi, 18 March (H.S.):

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 4‑lane, access‑controlled National Highway‑927 corridor from Barabanki to Bahraich (101.515 km) in Uttar Pradesh at an estimated cost of ₹6,969.04 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).

The decision aims to upgrade a critical but under‑engineered corridor, cut travel time, and position the Lucknow–Rupaidiha axis as a key cross‑border trade and logistics link.

Key project features and route designThe proposed project involves converting the existing NH‑927 section between Barabanki and Bahraich into a modern, controlled‑access expressway‑style road with four lanes and continuous service roads.

The highway will bypass major habitations over a combined distance of 48.28 km, easing congestion in built‑up areas of Barabanki and Bahraich, flattening sharp curves and improving geometric alignment. Officials estimate that the upgrade will reduce typical travel time along the corridor to about one hour, while also boosting average speeds and fuel efficiency.

The corridor, part of the Lucknow–Rupaidiha economic axis, will link NH‑27, NH‑330B and NH‑730, as well as state highways SH‑13 and SH‑30B, knitting together several urban centres including Barabanki, Ramnagar, Jarwal, Kaisargan, Kundasar, Fakharpur and Bahraich. The project’s design follows PM GatiShakti‑style connectivity planning, with an emphasis on multimodal integration and last‑mile access to production and tourism hubs.

The upgraded Barabanki–Bahraich highway will connect one land port, two airports, 10 railway stations and 12 logistics nodes, along with one Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and two Mega Food Parks, enhancing the region’s multimodal transport network.

The Rupaidiha Land Port, located on the India–Nepal border, is expected to become a more effective transit and trade corridor once the new highway becomes operational, shortening the road‑haul distance for goods moving between Lucknow, Bahraich, Shravasti and Nepal’s market towns.

By improving access to remote districts such as Bahraich and Shravasti, the project is also expected to stimulate agri‑trade, tourism, cross‑border commerce and regional investment. The corridor will better serve two Aspirational Districts, supporting healthcare, education and enterprise clusters that currently suffer from weak last‑mile connectivity.

Combined with the Lucknow and Shravasti airports, the route will facilitate faster movement of passengers and high‑value cargo, especially in the agricultural, tourism and logistics sectors.

The total capital cost of ₹6,969.04 crore includes ₹3,485.49 crore for civil works and ₹1,574.85 crore for land acquisition, with the remaining funds covering ancillary works, utilities and project management.

The use of Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) allows the government to bear part of the upfront capital cost while the private concessionaire recovers the rest through performance‑linked annuity payments over the concession period, reducing the risk of cost overruns and delays.

Employment‑generation estimates project around 36.54 lakh person‑days of direct jobs and an additional 43.04 lakh person‑days of indirect employment through the construction‑related value chain, from heavy‑civil contractors to small suppliers of materials and services. Once operational, the highway is expected to see an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of roughly 28,557 passenger‑car units (PCUs) in the first package and about 21,270 PCUs in the second, indicating sustained demand and economic utility.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar