Lucknow: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 594-km Ganga Expressway at an event in Hardoi on 29 April, Uttar Pradesh further cemented its position as the state with the highest number of operational expressways in the country, with seven now in service.
The combined length of these expressways has now reached 1,911 km, and the state government claims that nearly 60 percent of India’s operational expressway network is in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state.
”Expressways have significantly improved connectivity across the state, making Uttar Pradesh more attractive to investors,” Uttar Pradesh Invest CEO Vijay Kiran Anand said.
He said the expanding coverage of expressways forms part of conversations during investors’ interactions with the government, as these corridors open new opportunities for businesses, and several development projects are being planned alongside the expressways.
All these factors, he said, are helping create a positive investment environment in the state.
State government functionaries say the state has seven operational expressways, four more are under construction, while eight more have been proposed.
Of the existing seven expressways, six were developed by the state’s expressway development authorities, while one was built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The seven proposed expressways also fall under state authority.
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A poll plank in 2027
A senior functionary in the Chief Minister’s Office said the improved connectivity will be presented as a major achievement by the ruling party during the 2027 Assembly elections.
”Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh had only two expressways: the Yamuna Expressway connecting Noida and Agra, and the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Now, the government will showcase that the state has 15 expressways either operational, under construction, or proposed. People will be able to travel to any part of Uttar Pradesh within a few hours,” the functionary said.
Awanish Awasthi, who is currently an advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said the state is rapidly emerging as India’s connectivity powerhouse, led by the 594-km long Ganga Expressway and an expanding network of expressways across the state.
He said these high-speed road projects are equipped with modern infrastructure such as airstrips, EV charging stations, rest areas, and smart connectivity features, ensuring faster and safer travel while also boosting economic growth and investment opportunities.
However, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly criticised the BJP government’s expressway projects in Uttar Pradesh, describing them as poorly built and excessively expensive.
The high-speed road projects executed by the BJP government are “expressways of lies”, he told ThePrint.
भाजपा के विकास का मॉडल तो उद्घाटन के फूल सूखने के पहले ही धंस जाने वाले ‘ग्रीन कॉरीडोर’ में दिख ही गया है… और इनके बनाए बुंदेलखंड एक्सप्रेसवे के गड्ढों को देखकर तो चाँद के गड्ढे भी मुँह छुपा लेते हैं।
आरोप लगाते-लगाते इनकी भी विदाई का समय आ गया…
इनकी भी सादर विदाई!
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 29, 2026
He said that the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, which was constructed during the Samajwadi Party government, has better quality standards. Akhilesh also alleged corruption, lack of basic amenities, and incomplete construction in several projects.
He specifically talked about the Bundelkhand Expressway, alleging that large potholes, which he called ‘pits of corruption,’ appeared on the road soon after its inauguration.
The expanding network
As per the details given by government functionaries, the 302-km-long Agra-Lucknow Expressway is a six-lane corridor developed by Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) at Rs 14,446 crore.
It links Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Kanpur Nagar, Unnao, Hardoi, and Lucknow districts.
On the eastern side of the state, the six-lane Purvanchal Expressway, also developed by the UPEIDA, stretches 341 km and was built with an investment of Rs 23,349.37 crore. It connects Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur.
The four-lane Bundelkhand Expressway spans 296 km and was constructed by the UPEIDA for Rs 14,849.09 crore, linking Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Jalaun, Auraiya, and Etawah.
The 91-km-long four-lane Gorakhpur Link Expressway, built for Rs 7,283.28 crore, connects Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, and Azamgarh.
The 14-lane Delhi-Meerut Expressway, developed by the NHAI, covers 96 km and cost Rs 8,400 crore to build, connecting Nizamuddin, Dasna, Hapur, and Meerut.
The six-lane Yamuna Expressway, developed by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), stretches 166 km and was constructed at Rs 12,839 crore. It connects Pari Chowk in Greater Noida with Jewar, Vrindavan, Mathura, and Agra.
The recently inaugurated six-lane Ganga Expressway is the state’s longest expressway at 594 km. Constructed by UPEIDA for Rs 36,230 crore, it connects Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj.
“Just as Maa Ganga has been the lifeline of UP and this country for thousands of years, similarly, in this era of modern progress, this expressway passing near her will become the new lifeline of UP’s development,” the prime minister said during the inauguration.
Apart from these, the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is also operational. This six-lane expressway was developed by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority at an estimated cost of around Rs 400 crore and has a total length of 25 km.
Eight projects under construction
ThePrint has also learnt that eight expressway projects are currently under construction or are in the proposal stage under the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
These include a four-lane Chitrakoot Link Expressway with a proposed length of 15.17 km. A six-lane Lucknow Link Expressway, which will connect the Agra-Lucknow Expressway with the Purvanchal Expressway. Its proposed length is 49.96 km.
Apart from that, the proposed six-lane Farrukhabad Link Expressway will connect the Ganga Expressway with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and will have a total length of 90.84 km.
The six-lane Jewar Link Expressway, connecting the Yamuna Expressway with the Ganga Expressway via Bulandshahr, is proposed to be 74.30 km long.
Other planned projects include the six-lane Jhansi Link Expressway with a proposed length of 118 km, the six-lane Vindhyal Expressway stretching 277 km, and the six-lane Vindhya Purvanchal Link Expressway with a length of 107 km.
The proposed six-lane Meerut- Haridwar Link expressway is expected to cover 130.14 km.
Apart from that, several expressway projects are currently under construction in Uttar Pradesh by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). These include the six-lane Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, which will span 63 km.
The proposed expressways
The proposed six-lane Ballia Link Expressway will have a total length of 114 km, while the six-lane Ghaziabad-Kanpur Expressway is planned to cover 380 km.
Awasthi said Uttar Pradesh is not merely constructing roads but is shaping a stronger, smarter, and more prosperous future.
UP-based economist Prof. A.P Tiwari described Uttar Pradesh as a “connectivity hub’, saying the expanding road network is bringing business and economic opportunities to different regions.
The state’s economy has more than doubled over the past eight years, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.8 percent, driven by massive infrastructure projects, manufacturing growth, and rising exports, he said.
Improved road connectivity has also become an important factor in projecting Uttar Pradesh as a business-friendly state.
The expressway network has sharply reduced travel time across the state. One can now travel from Lucknow to Ghazipur via the Purvanchal Expressway in around three hours, from Lucknow to Noida in about five hours, and from Lucknow to Meerut in nearly five hours.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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