Moradabad-Aligarh Highway to Get Four-Lane Upgrade, Land Acquisition Begins
NHAI is acquiring land in Moradabad and Aligarh for a 150-km four-lane highway that will cut Moradabad-Aligarh travel time to around 90 minutes.
A proposed 150-km highway between Moradabad and Aligarh in western Uttar Pradesh is moving closer to execution, with land acquisition gathering pace in both districts. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is acquiring roughly 190 hectares across 22 villages in Moradabad, and compensation is to be credited directly to the bank accounts of affected farmers and landowners.
In Aligarh, land is to be acquired across 45 villages in the Gabhana and Koil tehsils. The Moradabad district administration has already barred the sale and purchase of land, along with fresh registrations, in areas likely to be affected.
The corridor will pass through Amroha, Sambhal and Bulandshahr before reaching Aligarh. The existing two-lane high-speed stretch is to be rebuilt as a four-lane, access-controlled highway with a speed limit of 100 kmph.
Faster travel, restricted access
The present 150-km journey via Chandausi, Babrala and Dibai takes three to four hours because of congestion, narrow stretches and heavy traffic. Once the upgraded highway is operational, the same trip is expected to take around 1.5 to 2 hours.
Entry and exit will be permitted only at designated interchanges, with no direct access from villages or local roads. Two-wheelers and three-wheelers will not be allowed on the highway.
Expressway links and safety works
The highway is planned to connect directly with the Ganga Expressway through a Badaun link, which would ease travel from Moradabad and Aligarh towards Prayagraj and other parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. To reduce conflicts between heavy trucks, farm vehicles and local traffic, the project includes underpasses, elevated bypasses and pedestrian bridges, besides a major bridge on the Aligarh-Moradabad section for which a Rs 12.5-crore construction tender was issued in June 2026.
Connectivity towards Agra will also improve. Widening work on the first 28-km package of the Agra-Aligarh four-lane highway project began in March and is expected to be completed by 2028. Together, the projects are expected to provide four-lane connectivity from Moradabad to Aligarh and onward to Agra.
Activity around Harduaganj, Panethi and Gabhana is already drawing interest, with demand for real estate, agricultural land, warehouses and logistics facilities reported to be rising as surveys and acquisition work proceed.