Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh govt is set to appoint a construction agency this month for the Chitrakoot Link Expressway, aimed at boosting the state’s tourism infrastructure. Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) said four agencies have expressed interest in building the 15-km spur route that will directly connect the Bundelkhand Expressway with the religious town of Chitrakoot.The proposed link road is planned to improve vehicle access from the Bundelkhand Expressway to Ramghat on Mandakini river, where daily aarti and puja rituals draw large crowds. Chitrakoot holds major significance for devotees of Lord Ram, with tradition stating that Ram, Sita and Lakshman spent part of their exile period along the riverbank.According to officials, motorists travelling from the Bundelkhand Expressway will be able to take an interchange near Bharatkoop onto the spur route, which will end near Ahmadganj, close to the Uttar Pradesh border with Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district.The project, estimated at Rs 1,009 crore, will be built as a six-lane corridor. UPEIDA said bidders’ financial and technical credentials are under evaluation, after which the contractor will be finalised. A senior official said the authority plans to award and hand over the project by Oct 31.
