CM inspects progress of Ganga e-way, says will be ready by Nov

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday inspected the progress of work on Ganga Expressway and said that the entire project will be completed by Nov this year.
The ambitious infrastructure project aims to connect the western and eastern parts of the state, stretching approximately 594 kms from Meerut to Prayagraj.
"This is one of the longest expressways in the country. The entire work of the Ganga Expressway must be completed by Nov. It holds the ability to land any fighter or commercial aircraft," the CM said.
Yogi visited three locations to gauge the on-ground situation personally and issue directives to the officials concerned to expedite work.
Being commissioned in four groups (overall civil works divided into four parts), Yogi found the progress of the first two groups satisfactory but asked the officials to expedite work on the third and fourth groups at the earliest.
Besides an aerial inspection, Yogi also took a ride over the carriageways to experience the ride quality.
Yogi also went through the presentation prepared by the officials of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to understand the Swiss technology being deployed during the construction of the expressway.
The CM's first stop was Bilgram in Hardoi, where he examined the group III portion before progressing to the group II portion in Jalalabad locality in Shahjahanpur. His final stop was Garh Mukteshwar in Hapur, where the work on group I was underway. He spent a considerable amount of time understanding the precautions being taken to protect the bridges and structures being built over the Ganga in parts where strong currents of the river wash away the soil during monsoon.
Yogi interacted with engineers, experts, and workers deployed at the site and obliged a group of construction workers interested in getting themselves clicked with him. During a ride over the carriageway in Hardoi, Yogi was briefed about the efforts being made to ensure a smooth ride with the help of Zurich University.
In Jalalabad, he took stock of the preparations being made ahead of the air show that has been planned over the carriageways next month, in which the Indian Air Force will carry out a mock drill replicating an emergency landing situation on the expressway.
In Hapur, the CM appreciated the construction workers who ensured that the bridge over the Ganga got commissioned within 18 months. "The local public representatives were invited for the programme. CM Yogi interacted with them and sought their support for closer monitoring of the project," a senior govt officer said.
Chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, who is also chief executive officer of UPEIDA, and other senior officials were present. Additional CEO of the authority, Shrihari Pratap Shahi, said: "Efforts are on to complete the project at the earliest. We have achieved 80% of our goals and project milestones. Construction agencies involved with the project have been asked to expedite work on the remaining work."
Out of the 1,500 different kinds of structures that would be required, 1,460 have been constructed so far, while 40 have to be commissioned. While groups II, III, and IV have been awarded to Adani Group, group I is being completed by IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dec 2021 in Shahjahanpur. The starting point of the carriageway is going to be at Bijauli village in Meerut, while it will terminate in Prayagraj.
The expressway will boost economic and industrial growth in the state and create opportunities for the local youths who stay in towns and villages situated at the exit points of the expressway.
Being constructed to reduce the travel time between UP, NCR, and Prayagraj region, the Ganga Expressway would connect Meerut and Prayagraj as well as 10 districts situated along the distance (Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, and Pratapgarh). Moreover, link routes would be provided to connect the expressway with Uttarakhand, Farrukhabad, Lucknow-Agra Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, and Purvanchal Expressway.