‘UP has most highways’: PM Modi inaugurating Meerut-Prayagraj corridor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 594 km long Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district. The six-lane (expandable to eight) expressway connects Meerut with Prayagraj and reduces travel time from 11 hours to six hours.

“You all see how today the whole world is caught in war, unrest and instability. The situation in major countries is dire, but India is progressing on the path of development at the same pace. External enemies do not like this, and some internal people, hungry for power, are trying to bring. Yet, we are not only safe, but also breaking new PM records of development,” said Modiirbhar. (independent India).

He said the Samajwadi Party (SP) does not like the state’s progress and wants to “push it back to its old era”. “The SP is not only anti-development but also anti-women. Recent events have exposed their mindset,” he said, referring to the women’s quota bill. He said that the state had become a ‘jungle raj’ under previous UP governments.

“At one time, Uttar Pradesh was known for its potholes. Today, it has become the state with the most highways in the country. Today, Uttar Pradesh has 21 airports, including five international airports,” he said.

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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of the expressway in December 2021 and gave UP the vision to complete it within the stipulated time frame.

In a post on X, CM said the state’s development journey will gain new momentum with the inauguration.

The highway built at a cost of ₹36,230 crore, connecting 12 key districts: Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.

It was developed under a public-private partnership model, with a design speed of 120 km/h.

One of its major features is a 3.2 km airstrip near Shahjahanpur for emergency landing of air force aircraft. The expressway is also equipped with an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), CCTV surveillance, emergency call boxes, ambulances and patrol units to ensure safety.