Preparing to give Uttar Pradesh another big gift before the upcoming Mahakumbh in 2025, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to work on war footing to complete the Ganga Expressway, India?s second longest expressway, by the end of the year. Currently, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of expressways in the country with six in operation and seven under construction. The most ambitious project is the Ganga Expressway with a proposed length of 594 kilometers. Ganga Expressway is the second in terms of length in the country after the longest the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. Currently, UP has four expressways that feature among the top 10 expressways in terms of length in India. Once Ganga Expressway becomes operational, the state will have five of the top 10 expressways in the country. Recently, the chief minister, in a meeting with officials of the executing agency UPEIDA, has given directions to make the much-anticipated Ganga Expressway operational by the end of 2024 under any circumstances given the Mahakumbh in 2025, officials here on Tuesday said. Connecting the state from east to west, this expressway will pass through 518 villages in 12 districts. After the opening of the expressway, the distance from Meerut to Prayagraj via Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh will be covered in just a few hours. Ganga Expressway will start from Bijauli village on Meerut-Bulandshahr (NH 334) and end near Judapur Dadu village on (NH 19) in Prayagraj. The expressway is being built on 7467 hectares of land at an estimated cost of Rs 36,230 crore.