A senior state official from Uttar Pradesh announced that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will undertake new highway projects worth over Rs 150 billion to improve cargo and passenger movement in the state. Several districts, including Kanpur, Bareilly, Barabanki, Bahraich, Agra, Aligarh, and Gorakhpur, are expected to benefit from these initiatives, which will complement ongoing highways and expressway projects. The official shared that while the detailed project reports (DPRs) for some projects are ready, the bidding process for others is at different stages of completion. The total outlay for these projects is estimated at Rs 155 billion. In addition, the much-awaited Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, under construction by the NHAI, is expected to be completed by July 2025. Once finished, it will provide seamless connectivity between the industrial town of Kanpur and the state capital, Lucknow, easing major traffic congestion in the twin cities. The Ganga Expressway, initially expected to be completed before the Maha Kumbh event, is now slated for completion by March-April 2025. The Rs 36,000 crore mega project, being developed by the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Upeida), will span 594 km. An airstrip has also been developed along the Ganga Expressway to accommodate emergency landings and takeoffs for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Currently, the Agra-Lucknow and Purvanchal Expressways also offer similar facilities. Once the Ganga Expressway and the 91-km Gorakhpur Link Expressway are completed, Uttar Pradesh will have nine access-controlled expressways, with a combined length exceeding 1,900 km. The state currently accounts for around 47% of the country’s total expressway length. Functional expressways in UP include the Yamuna, Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand Expressways. Additionally, the state government is focusing on enhancing rural road connectivity to facilitate faster movement of farm and dairy products from villages to cities and major food processing centres, thereby boosting rural income. News source: Business Standard