Proposed Highway Project Promises Shorter Routes Between Key Western UP Towns

People travelling across western Uttar Pradesh are set for shorter and smoother journeys, as the Public Works Department has proposed an 81.41-kilometre Aligarh–Sambhal state highway via Sasni. The new corridor is planned to link National Highway 509 with National Highway 32, cut travel time between key towns, and reduce congestion affecting Aligarh, Hathras, Sambhal and nearby parts of the Agra region.

Instead of building a completely fresh road, the PWD plans to convert a chain of existing other district roads and link roads into one continuous Aligarh–Sambhal state highway. Officials expect this upgrade to take pressure off busy urban stretches inside Aligarh city, because many vehicles from Sasni, Hathras and Agra will be able to reach Sambhal without entering the crowded city centre.

Aligarh–Sambhal state highway: Present route problems and traffic pressure

At present, most commuters travelling from Aligarh to Sambhal use the Atrauli route, which is more than 105 kilometres long. The journey often takes over two and a half hours because of narrow road width and heavy vehicle movement. Population growth in Aligarh and Hathras, along with rising numbers of private and commercial vehicles, has made these district and other district roads slow and uncomfortable.

Much of the existing alignment that may form the Aligarh–Sambhal state highway is barely five metres wide. The PWD proposal seeks to standardise the entire corridor at a 10-metre width, which matches state highway norms. For this widening and for some realignment, officials have planned land acquisition in selected stretches, especially around Aligarh, Sasni and Sambhal, so that traffic can move more freely and safely.

Aligarh–Sambhal state highway: Proposed alignment, distances and expected travel time

The suggested alignment will stitch together several key road segments. These include stretches near Sasni in Hathras district, multiple connecting roads in Aligarh district, and parts close to Sambhal that join the Meerut–Badaun road with Sambhal town. By turning them into a single state highway, the corridor is expected to offer a more direct inter-district link between National Highway 509 and National Highway 32.

According to department estimates, those travelling from Aligarh or Hathras to Sambhal on the new Aligarh–Sambhal state highway may complete the trip in about one to one and a half hours. That would be a clear gain compared with the present two to two-and-a-half-hour drive on the longer Atrauli route. Daily commuters and freight operators are likely to save both time and fuel on this shorter path.

PWD Chief Engineer Vijay Singh stated that the route survey for the Aligarh–Sambhal state highway has been completed and the proposal sent to the Uttar Pradesh government. Vijay Singh also indicated that once the corridor is notified as a state highway, the rising traffic volume could support a later request for national highway status, while already improving regional links and shortening journeys across Aligarh, Hathras, Sambhal and neighbouring districts.