Uttar Pradesh, India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 594-kilometer-long Ganga Expressway, a significant infrastructure project aimed at enhancing connectivity across the state. The expressway connects Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh to Prayagraj in the east, traversing 12 districts and promising to drastically reduce travel times and boost economic activity.
A New Lifeline for Uttar Pradesh
The Ganga Expressway, developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), is designed as a six-lane access-controlled corridor, with provisions for future expansion to eight lanes. The project, built at an estimated cost of ₹36,230 crore, is set to halve the travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from the current 10-12 hours to approximately six hours. This reduction in travel time is expected to significantly boost logistics, industrial investment, agricultural marketing, and regional economic balance across Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Modi, speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Hardoi district, described the expressway as a new lifeline for the state’s development, drawing a parallel to the historical significance of the river Ganga. He highlighted that the expressway would not only improve mobility for people but also facilitate faster and safer movement of goods, thereby contributing to Uttar Pradesh’s aspiration of becoming a trillion-dollar economy.
Economic Corridor and Integrated Development
The Ganga Expressway has been envisioned as a major economic corridor. Plans are in place to develop Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Corridors over approximately 2,635 hectares along its alignment across the 12 districts. These developments are intended to improve supply chain efficiencies and enhance manufacturing competitiveness. The project is also linked to numerous other expressways, both operational and planned, including the Agra–Lucknow Expressway, Jewar Link Expressway, and the proposed extension from Meerut to Haridwar, creating a vast and integrated transport network across the state and beyond.
A notable feature of the expressway is a 3.5-kilometer emergency landing facility, or airstrip, located in the Shahjahanpur district. This facility has already undergone successful landing and take-off drills by the Indian Air Force, adding a strategic defense dimension to the project while strengthening national security preparedness.
Connecting 12 Districts and Empowering Farmers
The 12 districts that benefit from the Ganga Expressway are Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. The project has also involved the acquisition of approximately 18,000 acres of land from farmers for the expressway itself, with an additional nearly 7,000 acres earmarked for the development of industrial clusters and logistics hubs. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath acknowledged the crucial contribution of over one lakh farmers from these districts who provided land for the project, enabling its timely completion.
The expressway is expected to serve as a backbone for a wider expressway network in Uttar Pradesh, linking western, central, and eastern regions. This increased connectivity is anticipated to stimulate industrial development, promote tourism, and generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities throughout the region.
Project Timeline and Key Features
The Ganga Expressway project was initially conceived in 2007 and revived in 2019. The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Modi on December 18, 2021, in Shahjahanpur, with physical construction commencing in April 2022. The project is being developed on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) model under a public-private partnership, with Adani Enterprises and IRB Infrastructure Developers awarded the concession rights. The expressway is designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph, with advanced safety systems, including an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), CCTV surveillance, and emergency call boxes.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
