भारतको उत्तर प्रदेशस्थित गोरखपुरदेखि नेपाल सीमावर्ती सोनौली नाका जोड्ने चार लेन राष्ट्रिय राजमार्ग निर्माण अन्तिम चरणमा पुगेको छ। भारतीय राष्ट्रिय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण (एनएचएआई) का अनुसार ७९.५ किलोमिटर लामो यस अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय करिडोरको करिब ८९ प्रतिशत काम सम्पन्न भइसकेको छ।
नयाँ सडक सञ्चालनमा आएपछि भारतबाट नेपाल आउने यात्रु तथा मालवाहक सवारीसाधनको आवागमन सहज हुने अपेक्षा गरिएको छ। हाल गोरखपुर–सोनौली यात्रा गर्न करिब तीन घण्टा लाग्ने भए पनि चार लेन सडक खुलेपछि समय घट्ने र ढुवानी प्रक्रिया थप प्रभावकारी हुने बताइएको छ।
दुई लेनको पुरानो सडकलाई विस्तार गरी चार लेन बनाइएको हो। भविष्यमा आवश्यक परे छ लेनमा स्तरोन्नति गर्न मिल्ने गरी संरचना तयार गरिएको एनएचएआईले जनाएको छ।
परियोजनाअन्तर्गत फ्लाइओभर, अन्डरपास, रेल पुल, कल्भर्ट तथा सेवा सडक निर्माण भइरहेका छन्। आधुनिक ट्राफिक व्यवस्थापन प्रणाली जडान गरिएकाले सडक सुरक्षा र निगरानीमा समेत सुधार हुने अपेक्षा गरिएको छ।
यो मार्ग भारत–नेपाल व्यापार र पर्यटनका लागि महत्वपूर्ण मानिएको छ। दिल्ली, उत्तर प्रदेश र बिहारबाट नेपाल आउने यात्रु तथा व्यवसायिक सवारीसाधनलाई सहजता हुने र सीमावर्ती क्षेत्रका कृषि उत्पादन नेपालका बजारसम्म छिटो पुर्याउन सहयोग पुग्ने अनुमान गरिएको छ।
सडक सञ्चालनपछि भारतको कुशीनगर, गोरखपुर हुँदै नेपालको लुम्बिनीसम्मको बौद्ध पर्यटन मार्ग पनि थप सहज बन्ने अपेक्षा गरिएको छ। भारत–नेपालबीचको व्यापारिक तथा सांस्कृतिक सम्बन्ध विस्तारमा यो करिडोरले महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका खेल्ने विश्वास गरिएको छ।
The construction of the four-lane national highway connecting Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, India, with the Nepal border point at Sonauli has reached its final stage. According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), around 89 percent of the 79.5-kilometre international corridor has been completed.
The new highway is expected to improve road connectivity between India and Nepal by reducing travel time for passengers and freight vehicles. The route is considered important for travellers and transport operators coming to Nepal from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Currently, the journey between Gorakhpur and Sonauli takes around three hours due to the narrow two-lane road and congestion in market areas. After the four-lane highway becomes operational, movement of vehicles is expected to become faster, safer and more efficient.
The existing two-lane road has been upgraded into a four-lane corridor with infrastructure designed for possible future expansion into six lanes. The project includes flyovers, underpasses, a railway bridge, culverts and service roads along the route.
An advanced traffic management system has also been installed, including CCTV monitoring, electronic message boards and real-time traffic surveillance facilities to improve road safety and management.
The highway is expected to provide a boost to India–Nepal trade by making the transportation of goods more convenient. Farmers in border areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are also likely to benefit as agricultural products such as vegetables and fruits can reach Nepalese markets more quickly.
The project is also expected to support tourism, particularly the Buddhist circuit connecting India’s Kushinagar and Bodh Gaya with Nepal’s Lumbini. Easier road access could encourage more religious and cultural tourism between the two countries.
The Gorakhpur–Sonauli corridor is being viewed as a strategic infrastructure project that will strengthen trade, tourism and people-to-people movement between India and Nepal.
