A new 1,500-kilometer mega-expressway corridor is currently under development to connect Delhi to the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, in West Bengal. By integrating existing and upcoming expressways, the project aims to reduce road travel time between Delhi and Siliguri from 32 hours to approximately 15-16 hours.
The Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway, a ₹37,500 crore project developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, serves as a cornerstone of this network. The four-lane, access-controlled highway, expandable to six lanes, is expected to see its civil construction tenders finalized following the near-completion of land acquisition and compensation in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The project is slated for phased openings, with a target completion date of 2028 for the Gorakhpur-Siliguri section.
Strategically, the Siliguri Corridor remains a focal point for national security due to its narrow width and proximity to the borders of Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and China. Complementing these efforts, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced a ₹2,077.18 crore project to four-lane a 31.02-km section of NH-327, which includes critical infrastructure like elephant underpasses. Additionally, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has submitted a Detailed Project Report for a high-speed rail corridor connecting Delhi-Varanasi-Patna-Siliguri, which would further cut travel time to approximately 6 hours and 45 minutes. New NHAI guidelines issued on September 25, 2026, mandate stringent safety and design standards, including one-meter-high boundary walls to prevent encroachment across these national corridors.
