Mumbai: The 594-km-long Ganga expressway, India’s second largest expressway, is set to become operational by the end of this year (2024), officials of the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) said.
The UP government is hurrying up on the project as chief minister Yogi Adityanath wished that the highway must complete before Mahakumbh 2025. The Ganga expressway connects Meerut with Prayagraj with a view to enhancing connectivity between eastern and western Uttar Pradesh.
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“The CM wants to finish the project as it will give boost to grand Mahakumbh 2025, which is expected to see millions of devotees and tourists pouring in from around the world,” said the officer of UPEIDA.
The expressway stretches from Bijauli in Meerut to Judapur Dandu in Prayagraj, will significantly cut both the distance and travel time between western and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The expressway, being constructed on around 7,500 hectare at the cost of Rs 36,230 crore, will pass through 12 districts in Uttar Pradesh.
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Originally planned in 2007 as Greater Noida-Ballia expressway, the project was shelved owing to funding and forest clearance issues. However, the six-lane expressway project was revived in 2019 and the UPEIDA has proposed to built it as a six-lane expressway. But it will eventually be extended to eight lanes with a 120-meter right-of-way width, allowing for a 120 mph design speed.
There are four phases of the expressway’s construction. The 129.70 km Meerut-Badaun stretch will be constructed by M/s IRB Infrastructure, while Adani Infrastructure is building the final three legs, which are Badaun-Hardoi (151.70 km), Hardoi-Unnao (155.70 km), and Unnao-Prayagraj (156.85 km).
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There will be 32 flyovers, 7 rail overbridges (ROBs), and 14 significant bridges along the Ganga Expressway. It will also include a 3.5-kilometer airstrip in Shahjahanpur, close to Jalalabad, that can handle big Boeing planes in an emergency.
Along with 15 ramp toll plazas at various locations along the route, the expressway will also feature two main toll plazas at Meerut and Prayagraj. In addition, nine complexes of public facilities will be built to accommodate travelers.
