PM to inaugurate Ganga Expressway on April 29, UP govt plans to set up 12 manufacturing clusters along it

Each node has been planned around local advantages, with the aim of creating a distributed industrial network along the expressway.

The 12 proposed locations are: Meerut (529 acres), Hapur (304 acres), Bulandshahr (2,798 acres), Amroha (348 acres), Sambhal (591 acres), Badaun (269 acres), Shahjahanpur (252 acres), Hardoi (335 acres), Unnao (333 acres), Raebareli (232 acres), Pratapgarh (263 acres), and Prayagraj (251 acres).

Officials said the integration of industrial clusters with the expressway is expected to reduce logistics costs and improve freight movement across regions. The corridor will connect western Uttar Pradesh with the central and eastern parts of the state.

Districts such as Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, and Pratapgarh are expected to see increased industrial activity as the clusters are developed.

The clusters will also require supporting infrastructure, including internal roads, utilities, and storage facilities. Development is expected to be taken up in phases alongside the operationalisation of the expressway, officials said.

All about the project

The six-lane Ganga Expressway is a greenfield road connecting Western, Central and Eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh.

The new expressway, built at a cost of around Rs 36,230 crore, is expected to “significantly reduce” travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from the current 10-12 hours to approximately 6 hours.

In a statement on Sunday, the PMO said, “The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi district, marking a significant milestone in the development of world-class infrastructure in the country…”

“The expressway traverses 12 districts – Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj – thereby connecting Western, Central, and Eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh through a single seamless high-speed corridor,” the statement said.

“A key highlight of the project is the provision of a 3.5 km-long Emergency Landing Facility (airstrip) in Shahjahanpur district. This dual-use infrastructure enhances national security preparedness and adds strategic value beyond economic benefits,” it said.

The Prime Minister will begin his two-day visit on April 28 with Varanasi, where he will participate in Mahila Sammelan and lay the foundation stone of various development projects worth around Rs 6,350 crore.

On April 29, the Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at Shri Kashi Vishawanath temple in Varanasi and then travel to Hardoi to inaugurate Ganga Expressway.

During his visit, the Prime Minister will also flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains: Banaras-Pune (Hadapsar) and Ayodhya-Mumbai (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus).