Ganga Expressway Inaugurated PM Modi Meerut Prayagraj India Longest Greenfield Highway 2026

What Is the Ganga Expressway?

The Ganga Expressway is a 594 km Phase-1 greenfield highway connecting Meerut to Prayagraj, running broadly parallel to the Ganges River. It is a 6-lane corridor, expandable to 8 lanes, and is part of a larger 1,049 km vision that also includes Phase-2 extensions toward Haridwar and Ballia.

The expressway connects 12 key districts such as Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj, and is designed for a top speed of 120 kmph.

A Historic Journey from Idea to Reality

First proposed in 2007 by then-Chief Minister Mayawati as a Greater Noida Ballia Expressway, the project remained stalled for over a decade. It was revived and officially relaunched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on January 29, 2019. The foundation stone was laid by PM Modi in Shahjahanpur on December 18, 2021, and construction began in April 2022.

Cost and Scale

It was built at a cost of ₹36,230 crore. The Ganga Expressway passes through 12 districts and 519 villages in Uttar Pradesh, including major cities like Meerut, Bulandshahr, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. The land acquisition, covering over 6,556 hectares, was completed in full by April 2024.

Safety and Smart Infrastructure

The expressway has been built as a six-lane highway expandable to eight lanes, with a design speed of up to 120 kmph. It includes advanced safety and monitoring features such as an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), CCTV surveillance, emergency call boxes, ambulances, and patrol units.

Strategic Defence Asset: India's First Day-Night IAF Airstrip

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of this expressway is its dual-use military capability. The Indian Air Force conducted an impressive flypast and landing exercise on a 3.5-kilometre-long airstrip at Shahjahanpur, featuring take-offs and landings by advanced aircraft, including the Rafale, Jaguar, and Mirage jets. 

The Shahjahanpur airstrip is the first in the country to facilitate both day and night landings of fighter jets; the airstrips on the Lucknow-Agra and Purvanchal expressways are limited to daytime operations only.

The Indian Air Force also conducted drills with the Su-30MKI, MiG-29, C-130J Super Hercules, An-32, and the Mi-17 V5 helicopter on May 2, 2025, ahead of the inauguration.

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