Hardoi (UP), April 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 594-km Ganga Expressway, one of India's largest greenfield infrastructure projects that was completed in less than 3.5 years, connecting Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh with Prayagraj in the eastern region of the country’s most populous state, with Adani Road Transport Limited (ARTL), the roads arm of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), developing 464 km, or nearly 80 per cent of the alignment. For decades, eastern UP has remained underdeveloped despite its demographic and economic potential. The expressway is set to unlock this potential by improving access, reducing distances and integrating the region more closely with the state’s growth corridors. The project will reduce travel time from about 11 hours to six hours and open new economic opportunities across the state. The expressway has deployed AI-enabled camera systems to provide advanced alerts and enhance road safety.A 3.5 km stretch in Shahjahanpur district has been developed as a dedicated Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), facilitating aircraft landing and strengthening the corridor’s strategic capabilities.

Spanning 12 districts, the six-lane expressway, expandable to eight lanes, will improve access to markets, healthcare, education, and tourism hubs. For families, this means quicker access to essential services, and for businesses, faster connections to markets.Adani Road Transport Ltd (ARTL) deployed over 12,000 workers at peak construction. The remaining stretch was developed by IRB Infrastructure.According to the UP government estimates, the expressway is expected to generate Rs 25,000–30,000 crore in annual logistics savings, create around 3 lakh jobs over the next decade and contribute over Rs 1 lakh crore to the state’s GDP, while improving freight velocity and reducing inventory holding costs across sectors.The trunk corridor will strengthen trade flows by enabling faster movement of agricultural produce and goods. Farmers and small businesses stand to benefit from improved market access and better price realisation.

The expressway also strengthens UP’s industrial connectivity while improving access to religious destinations such as Prayagraj and Varanasi, supporting spiritual tourism and local livelihoods. Expected to benefit over 8 crore people, the corridor will improve connectivity, shorten journeys, and support sustained economic growth across UP.The Uttar Pradesh government is establishing 11 industrial corridors across all 12 districts -- Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj -- creating millions of jobs over time.The spiritual tourism economy is expected to get a big boost with better connectivity to 7 major tourist destinations, including Garhmukteshwar, Kalkidham, Belhadevi, Chandrika (Shakti Peeth), and Triveni Sangam.

/IANS