Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur on Saturday. The 594 km long six-lane expressway on completion will be the longest expressway of Uttar Pradesh, connecting the western and eastern regions of the state. Earlier in November, PM Modi also inaugurated the 340-km Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh which is currently the longest expressway in India. As the infrastructural developments come ahead of the 2022 UP Assembly elections, it had also stirred several political debates. The inspiration behind the Expressway is the vision of PM Modi to provide fast-paced connectivity across the country, the Prime Minister's Office said. The Ganga Expressway will also give a fillip to multiple sectors including industrial development, trade, agriculture, tourism, etc, and will provide a big boost to the socio-economic development of the region, the PMO added.
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Key Points :
1. The 594 km long expressway will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. It will start from Bijauli village along NH-334 in Meerut and end at Judapur Dandu village near bypass of NH-2 in Prayagraj.
2. Ganga Expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs 36,200 crore.
3. A 3.5 km long airstrip will also be constructed on the Expressway in Shahjahanpur to assist emergency take-off and landing of Air Force planes. In addition to this, an industrial corridor is also proposed to be built along the Expressway.
4. The six-lane expressway can expand up to eight lanes. In addition to this, the expressway will also have nine public convenience centers, seven railway overbridges, 14 major bridges, 126 minor bridges, and 381 underpasses.
5. The expressway will also have 17 spots for entry and exit on the expressway. The travel time between Delhi and Prayagraj will be reduced by 7 hours with the expressway.
