Delhi to Lucknow in 3.5 hours? Nitin Gadkari promises a new expressway
The drive between Delhi and Lucknow is set to be a breeze soon. The 554 kms distance between the two cities is set to be reduced through a new expressway as promised by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways.
On Thursday, Gadkari revealed that there is a plan for a new expressway link which is expected to reduce the time taken to drive between the two cities to just three and a half hours. "We have made a plan to connect Delhi and Lucknow. After completion of the new expressway (link), we will be able to complete the distance between Delhi and Lucknow in three and a half hours," Gadkari said.
Delhi and Lucknow is currently connected through the Yamuna and Taj Expressway through Agra. It takes a little more than 7 hours to drive between the two cities.
The proposed new expressway link will be officially announced in the next 10-12 days. There will be a ceremony to launch the project, which will also be attended by Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
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Gadkari made the announcement during the ceremony to inaugurate as many as six national highway projects in Uttar Pradesh. At a cost of ₹8,364 crore, these highways are set to make commute across the state much easier.
Besides the upcoming Delhi-Lucknow Expressway, Uttar Pradesh already has an impressive network of national highways and expressways. There is Yamuna Expressway which connects Delhi and Agra, Taj Expressway to connect Agra and Lucknow and Delhi-Meerut Expressway to connect the national capital with the Meerut in western UP.
Apart from these, several other expressway projects are underway. Key among them is the Ganga Expressway, for which PM Narendra Modi laid foundation last week. Being built at a cost of ₹36,200 crore, the 594-kilometre expressway connecting Meerut and Prayagraj will be the longest in the state. The project is expected to be completed in the next three years.
Uttar Pradesh will also see another expressway which connects the state capital Lucknow with Ghazipur in the eastern part of the state. The Purvanchal Expressway, being constructed at a cost of ₹22,495 crore, will also allow fighter jets of the Indian Air Force to use it as an airstrip for emergency situations as demonstrated recently.
