PM Modi lays foundation stone of Ganga Expressway today: All you need to know about the ambitious project connecting Haridwar to Allahabad
- The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government approved the Ganga Expressway project in late November
- The project is expected to cost roughly Rs 36,000 crore of which Rs 22,145 will be funnelled towards its construction with almost Rs 9,255 crore (along with other expenses) used for land acquisition purposes
- Once the expressway is complete, it will, reportedly, reduce travel time between Delhi and Prayagraj from the current 10-11 hours to just 6-7 hours
With an eye on improving upon the 325 seats it won in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections of 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party is forging ahead with its development drive ahead of the upcoming state polls.
In recent months, the saffron outfit has launched a series of mega projects aimed at wooing voters from various districts. On November 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 22,949 crore 341-km Purvanchal Expressway and just days later laid the foundation stone for the Noida International Airport. He followed that up by inaugurating the Saryu Canal National Project at Balrampur earlier this month.
And earlier today, PM Modi turned his focus to another big-ticket project in the state – the ambitious Ganga Expressway project that will, reportedly, run along the river from Haridwar to Allahabad.
The prime minister laid the foundation stone for the 594-km project in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district. Upon completion, the Ganga Expressway will become Uttar Pradesh’s longest expressway, linking the western and eastern regions of the state.
What is it?
The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government approved the Ganga Expressway project in late November. According to reports, the expressway will run through twelve districts – Meerut, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj. It will begin at NH-235, close to the Shankarpur village in Meerut and terminate at NH 330 near Soraon in Prayagraj.
Speaking to The Hindustan Times, Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEID) CEO Awanish Kumar Awasthi said, “The unique aspect of Ganga Expressway is that it will link other expressways in the state through Lucknow-Agra Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway and Ballia Link Expressway. Once completed, the total network of expressways in Uttar Pradesh will be 1,900 km and provide pace to industrial, agriculture development and draw investments in various sectors.”
The project is expected to cost roughly Rs 36,000 crore of which Rs 22,145 will be funnelled towards its construction with almost Rs 9,255 crore (along with other expenses) used for land acquisition purposes.
The Uttar Pradesh government has previously disclosed plans to hire SBI Capital Markets as the financial advisor guiding the project while constituting a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to organise financing.
Once the expressway is complete, it will, reportedly, reduce travel time between Delhi and Prayagraj from the current 10-11 hours to just 6-7 hours. Passing through 519 villages, the stretch will be fully access-controlled. Vehicles will only be able to enter or exit the expressway at specific toll plazas. Two primary toll plazas will be established at Meerut and Prayagraj with an additional 15 ramp toll plazas set up along the route.
A Mint report states that the expressway will contain six lanes, expandable to 8 with Width of ROW (Right of Way) pegged at 120 metres. A service road with a width of 3.75 metres will also be constructed in a staggered form facilitating easy access to transportation to residents of nearby villages. An airstrip is also to be constructed on the expressway in the Sultanpur district that will allow Indian Air Force aircraft to make emergency landings.
