The construction of the Ganga Expressway, the longest in the state, is now in its final stage, and nearly 95% of the work has been completed. While the Meerut–Badaun section is already almost ready, the Unnao–Haldwani stretch has only 5% of work left.
Meanwhile, a trial run is likely in December, and after that, the Prime Minister may inaugurate the expressway by mid-January 2026. Once it opens, travel time from Meerut to Prayagraj will reduce to just six hours.
Meanwhile, the 22-km stretch under Meerut was completed in October itself, and in addition, a toll plaza near Khadkhadi is now fully ready. The expressway has been built as a six-lane highway, and moreover, it can be widened to eight lanes in the future. In fact, in the first sector from Meerut to Badaun, 125.5 km out of 130 km have already been completed.
At the same time, keeping national security in mind, airstrips for fighter aircraft landings have been built along this road for emergency situations. Furthermore, airstrips are being developed at four locations on the expressway. Notably, a 3.5-km-long runway in Jalalabad, Shahjahanpur, is already finished.
Western UP to Be Directly Connected; Route to Extend Till Haridwar
Moreover, to connect western Uttar Pradesh better, a 91-km Farrukhabad Link Expressway is also under construction. As a result, once this 90.838-km link road becomes operational, many districts will get direct access to the Agra–Lucknow Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, and the Prayagraj–Meerut Ganga Expressway.
In addition, the Ganga Expressway will also be linked to the Agra Expressway and the Bundelkhand Expressway. Furthermore, the Farrukhabad Link Expressway will connect Etawah, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Shahjahanpur, and Hardoi. On top of that, between Kannauj and Mainpuri, this link road will connect directly with the Bundelkhand Expressway.
Finally, the total cost of this major project is ₹36,230 crore, and therefore, 7,453.13 hectares of land have been acquired for its construction. In addition to this, the expressway is also being extended up to Haridwar, which will further improve regional connectivity.
Ganga Expressway; Some Facts
A total of 1498 large structures were built on this huge 594 kilometer long Ganga expressway, out of which 1497 are completely ready. Only about few work is left in the Unnao-Haldwani section, while most of the route is almost ready. Vehicles are running at Meerut-Badayun route.
In the first sector, 322 big structures have been built in the 129 km long stretch from Meerut to Badaun, and all the work has been completed. According to UPEDA officials, the trial run of this section will be done in the first week of December. After this, after completing the final testing, the expressway is expected to be inaugurated in the second week of January 2026.
