Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 594-km-long Ganga Expressway, a major infrastructure project connecting Meerut to Prayagraj, in a ceremony held in Hardoi.
The prime minister unveiled the access-controlled expressway with the touch of a button in the presence of Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior leaders.
Stretching across 12 districts — Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj — the six-lane expressway, expandable to eight lanes, is designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph. It is expected to significantly cut travel time between western and eastern Uttar Pradesh while improving the movement of goods and passengers.
The project, developed under a public-private partnership model, is equipped with modern safety and traffic systems, including an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), CCTV surveillance, emergency call boxes, ambulances and patrolling units. A key feature is a 3.2-km-long airstrip near Shahjahanpur to facilitate emergency landings by the Indian Air Force.
Officials said the expressway will boost industrial investment, logistics, agricultural marketing and regional development. Integrated manufacturing and logistics clusters, including warehouses, cold storage units and food processing hubs, are being developed along the corridor to generate employment and attract investment.
The corridor will also be linked with other major expressways such as the Purvanchal, Agra-Lucknow, Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur Link expressways, creating a wider interconnected road network across the state.
Praising the role of farmers in the project, Adityanath said more than one lakh cultivators across 12 districts contributed land for the expressway. “More than one lakh farmers across 12 districts contributed land for this expressway. I thank all the ‘annadata’ farmers whose support has made this project a reality,” he said.
He added that around 18,000 acres of land were acquired for the project, while nearly 7,000 acres have been earmarked for industrial clusters and logistics hubs. The chief minister described the expressway as a “lifeline” that would connect villages, farmers, entrepreneurs and youth, and said it would accelerate development and bridge regional gaps.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by Modi in December 2021, and its completion within the stipulated timeframe reflects the government’s focus on infrastructure expansion, Adityanath said.
Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary termed the project one of the longest expressways in the country and a major boost to modern infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.
Authorities said the Ganga Expressway is expected to play a key role in advancing the state’s ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by enhancing connectivity, facilitating trade and generating large-scale employment opportunities.
(With PTI inputs)