: Uttar Pradesh is now Expressway Pradesh #IndiaNEWS #National,IANS Special Series Lucknow, July 17 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh, until not so long ago, was known for its pot-holed roads that made one break

Uttar Pradesh is now Expressway Pradesh #IndiaNEWS #National ,IANS Special Series
Lucknow, July 17 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh, until not so long ago, was known for its pot-holed roads that made one break the journey instead of complete it.
Today, the state has emerged as the expressway capital of the country with 13 expressways six expressways having been completed and seven under various stages of construction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, inaugurated the sixth 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway that directly connects with Delhi.
It will connect the backward districts of the region such as Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Aurraiya and Etawah.
According to a government spokesman, Realising that infrastructure is the growth engine of the economy and roads are the mirror of progress, the double engine Bhartiya Janata Party-led government has worked extensively for the rejuvenation of roads and improving connectivity.
The access-controlled road network is being developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), the agency set up by the state government to steer its expressway expansion programme.
All the four expressways, interlinked, will bring the remotest and backward regions closer to not only state capital Lucknow but also Delhi and beyond, opening up markets and giving a big boost to socio-economic development in the region.
These corridors will give impetus to rapid, balanced and inclusive growth as well as immense employment potential. Lands have been marked for this. Airstrips are also being built on the expressways for landing and take-off of Air Force aircraft in case of emergency, said Avanish Awasthi, UP Home Secretary and Chief Executive, UPEIDA.
While the Yamuna expressway, which came up in 2012, and the Agra-Lucknow Expressway that opened to public in 2018 started the trend, it is the four new expressways: the 340-km Purvanchal, 296-km Bundelkhand, 91-km Gorakhpur Link, and the 594-km Ganga expressways that are scripting a silent transformation in the state.
Once these are complete, UP would have a network of 1,788 km of expressways in all, the highest in the country.
Currently, the total expressway network in India is around 1,822 kilometres which has earned UP the sobriquet of Expressway Pradesh.
The government spokesman said that from village streets to block headquarters and district headquarters, a network of roads connecting other states and other countries has been created.
He said that apart from boosting connectivity, the expressway network will also spur economic activity in eastern UP, bring investment and jobs.
Also, the foundation stone of the 594 km-long Ganga Expressway has been laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This expressway will not only reduce the distance between East and West but will also serve to connect people.