The toll notification, issued on Thursday, ends months of uncertainty for daily commuters and long-distance travellers using the expressway across eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The Gorakhpur Link Expressway has some of the highest toll rates among expressways in the state. On average, users will pay around Rs 3.12 per kilometre, compared with about Rs 2.20 per kilometre on the Lucknow–Agra Expressway, nearly Rs 2.14 per kilometre on the Bundelkhand Expressway and close to Rs 2 per kilometre on the Purvanchal Expressway.

Officials from UPEIDA said the higher toll rates are linked to the overall project cost and construction challenges. The expressway took more than five years to complete, with multiple alignment changes required due to difficult ground conditions and natural obstacles. The Ghaghra river posed a major challenge, as its shifting course damaged embankments and affected bridge structures during the monsoon seasons of 2023 and 2024, forcing engineers to rebuild sections of the project.

These setbacks increased both construction costs and timelines, leading to cost overruns that are reflected in toll pricing, officials said.

The Gorakhpur Link Expressway begins at Salarpur in Azamgarh district and ends at Jaitpur village in Gorakhpur, passing through Ambedkar Nagar and Sant Kabir Nagar. The four-lane, access-controlled highway was opened to the public in June last year and is designed to reduce travel time and improve connectivity across eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Authorities said the expressway includes multiple bridges, underpasses and interchanges, which add to construction and maintenance costs but are essential for safety and efficient traffic flow. With toll rates now confirmed, regular users can better plan travel expenses, while the expressway is expected to play a key role in strengthening regional connectivity in the coming years.