Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the 594-km-long Ganga Expressway in the Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh. Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said, the way the river Ganga, for thousands of years, has been the lifeline for Uttar Pradesh, similarly, this expressway will also become the new lifeline of this state’s development. The high-speed corridor is expected to significantly boost connectivity across Uttar Pradesh while giving impetus to industrial investment, logistics, agricultural marketing and regional balance.

The Ganga Expressway, developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority, will connect the western, central, and eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh through a single high-speed corridor. It will be the longest expressway in the state. It will reduce travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from nearly 12 hours to about 6 hours. The expressway will pass through 12 districts: Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj.

It also features a 3.5-km-long airstrip in Shahjahanpur to support the emergency take-off and landing of Indian Air Force aircraft. The project is expected to boost multiple sectors, including industrial development, trade, agriculture, and tourism, and to generate direct and indirect employment opportunities across the region.