Hardoi, April 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 594-kilometer-long Ganga Expressway, marking a major milestone in Uttar Pradesh’s infrastructure expansion and connectivity push, officials said.
The expressway, built at an estimated cost of Rs 36,230 crore, stretches from Meerut to Prayagraj and aims to significantly reduce travel time while enhancing industrial growth, employment generation, and ease of doing business across the state.
During the event, Modi planted a sapling and walked along the expressway with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, inspecting its design and features. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Governor Anandiben Patel, Union Minister Jitin Prasada, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and BJP state president Pankaj Choudhury.
The foundation of the fully access-controlled greenfield expressway was laid by the Prime Minister in December 2021. Ahead of the inauguration, he also visited an exhibition organised by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority, showcasing the state’s expanding expressway network.
Connecting 12 districts—including Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj—the corridor directly links western Uttar Pradesh with Purvanchal, enabling faster, safer and more efficient travel.
Developed under a public-private partnership model, the expressway currently has six lanes, expandable to eight, with a design speed of 120 kmph. It features modern infrastructure, including an approximately 3.2-kilometre-long emergency airstrip near Shahjahanpur for Indian Air Force aircraft landings.
Advanced facilities such as Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), CCTV surveillance, emergency call boxes, ambulances, and patrolling units have been installed along the route to ensure safety and efficiency.
An Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Cluster is also being developed along the corridor, with plans for manufacturing units, warehouses, cold storage, food processing centres, and logistics hubs. Government incentives, including capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, stamp duty exemptions, and power benefits, are expected to attract investors.
The Ganga Expressway will also connect with other major corridors such as the Purvanchal Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway and Gorakhpur Link Expressway, forming one of the largest expressway networks in the country.
Officials said the project will support agriculture-based industries, improve market access for farmers, and help reduce regional disparities, while generating large-scale employment and contributing to Uttar Pradesh’s goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy. (Agencies)
