Uttar Pradesh government has approved the construction of a new controlled-entry greenfield link expressway connecting the Agra-Lucknow and Purvanchal Expressways. This six-lane expressway will be built at a cost of about Rs 4776 crore and will make regional travel more fast, convenient and time-saving.
According to media reports, this expressway will directly connect Ballia to Delhi, reducing the distance between the two places to about 900 kilometers.
The project was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. State Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ informed that this new route will become an integral part of Uttar Pradesh’s developing expressway network, which will integrate existing and proposed corridors, such as Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, Ganga (under construction), Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur Link Expressways. This will make travel between major cities like Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Ghazipur easier and faster.
He said that the project will also generate direct and indirect employment opportunities. The total length of the expressway will be 49.96 km and it will be constructed in six lanes, which can be expanded to eight lanes in future. This construction work will be done under the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) model.
Minister Nandi said that this network is being prepared with the aim of connecting every region of the state with better connectivity and fast transportation facility, which will improve logistics and boost regional development.
Agra-Lucknow Expressway
This expressway connects the capital Lucknow to the historical city of Agra. Its length is 302.22 km and it was constructed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). It was inaugurated on 21 November 2016 and is one of the longest expressways in India.
Purvanchal Expressway
Purvanchal Expressway is an important project connecting the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh to Lucknow. This expressway has made travelling in eastern UP and surrounding areas much simpler and faster. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 November 2021.
