16 expressways in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh has 16 expressways that make travel quicker and easier across the state. These highways are built for fast-moving traffic and connect important cities, making long journeys smoother. In this article, you’ll find all the details about these expressways, including their routes, lengths, and the cities they link.

 

Yamuna Expressway

The Yamuna Expressway, also called the Taj Expressway, is a major road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It stretches for 165.5 km (102.8 miles) and has 6 lanes, with plans to expand to 8 lanes.
• The road connects Pari Chowk in Greater Noida to Kuberpur, which is on NH-2 near Agra.
• It was opened on August 9, 2012, by the then Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav.
• The expressway reduces the travel time between New Delhi and Agra from around 4 hours to about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• It was built to reduce traffic on the old Delhi-Agra highway (NH-2) and encourage development along the route.
• The expressway is access-controlled, has several important bridges, and seven interchanges.
• For safety, it has SOS booths, CCTV cameras every 5 km, mobile radars to check speed, and highway patrols every 25 km.
• There are also 13 service roads, which total about 168 km, for local traffic.
• The expressway connects to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway through an interchange near Noida International University.
• In the future, a metro rail line is planned from Pari Chowk to the Yamuna Expressway sectors 18 and 20.
• The project had an investment of ₹12,839 crore (around US$1.5 billion).
• It is expected to handle over 100,000 vehicles every day.
• In 2015, the Indian Air Force used the expressway to successfully land a Mirage 2000 fighter jet as part of a practice drill.

 

Noida–Greater Noida Expressway

The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is an important road in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It is 24.53 km (15.24 miles) long and has 6 lanes.
• The road connects the Mahamaya Flyover in Noida to Pari Chowk in Greater Noida.
• It was opened in 2002.
• This expressway makes travel between Noida and Greater Noida much faster and easier, helping with smoother commutes and transportation of goods.
• It was built to support the fast-growing urban and industrial development in the area.
• The road is access-controlled, with several interchanges and service roads for local traffic.
• It has safety features like CCTV cameras, streetlights, toll plazas, and emergency call boxes.
• The speed limit on the expressway is usually 80 km/h.
• It connects with major routes such as the DND Flyway, Yamuna Expressway, and National Highway 24.
• Future plans include linking it with the Taj Economic Zone, an international airport, and an aviation hub along the Yamuna Expressway.
• The project cost around ₹400 crore (about US$48 million).
• The expressway has greatly boosted real estate, with many residential and commercial projects developing along its path.
• It is also home to several educational institutions, making it a key route for students and teachers.

 

Agra–Lucknow Expressway

The Agra-Lucknow Expressway is a key road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It is 302 km (187.79 miles) long, with 6 lanes and plans to expand to 8 lanes.
• The road connects Agra to Lucknow, passing through cities like Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Kanpur Nagar, Hardoi, and Unnao.
• It was opened on November 21, 2016, by the then Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav.
• The expressway reduces travel time between Agra and Lucknow from 6 hours to about 3.5 hours.
• It was built to ease traffic on older highways and boost economic growth along the route.
• The road has controlled access, with limited entry and exit points.
• For safety, it features advanced systems like electronic call boxes, speed detection, CCTV cameras, and incident detection.
• Service roads are available along most of the expressway, except near major bridges and railway crossings.
• There are amenities like public toilets, petrol stations, service centers, restaurants, and shopping areas at four locations.
• The expressway provides interchanges for major roads and underpasses for vehicles, people, and animals.
• Plans for future expansion include adding 2 more lanes, developing green areas, and setting up rainwater harvesting systems.
• The project cost ₹13,200 crore (about US$2.3 billion).
• It supports high-speed travel and is expected to help boost trade and business in the region.
• The expressway also has an airstrip for emergency landings and takeoffs of fighter planes.
• It uses solar power for lighting and has green areas along the road for environmental benefits.

 

Delhi–Meerut Expressway

The Delhi-Meerut Expressway is an important road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It is 96 km (60 miles) long and has between 6 to 14 lanes, making it the widest expressway in India.
• The expressway connects the Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi to Partapur in Meerut, passing through Ghaziabad.
• It was opened on April 1, 2021.
• This road reduces the travel time between Delhi and Meerut from over 2.5 hours to just around 45 minutes.
• It was built to ease traffic on the older NH-9 and to promote growth along the route.
• The expressway is access-controlled, with limited points to enter and exit.
• For safety, it has CCTV cameras, electronic call boxes, speed detectors, and systems to detect accidents.
• The speed limit varies: it’s 70 km/h in Delhi and up to 120 km/h between Dasna and Meerut.
• Toll charges are expected to be ₹2 per kilometer, automatically collected using e-FASTag.
• The expressway connects with major roads like the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.
• Future plans include a 14.60 km connector from Zainuddinpur to Jahidpur, south-east of Meerut.
• The project cost between ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 crore (around US$1.1–1.3 billion).
• The road allows high-speed travel and is expected to help trade and business in the area.
• The section from Nizamuddin Bridge to Dasna is the widest road in India, with 14 lanes.
• It uses solar power for lighting and has green belts developed along the route.

 

Purvanchal Expressway

The Purvanchal Expressway is a major road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It is 343 kilometers long and 6 lanes wide, with plans to expand to 8 lanes.
• The expressway starts at Chand Saray village in Lucknow and ends at Haidaria village in Ghazipur.
• A 3.2 km airstrip is located in Akhalkiri Karwat village, Sultanpur district, for emergency landings.
• The road has 7 major bridges, 7 railway overpasses, 114 minor bridges, and 271 underpasses.
• Five industrial corridors are planned along the route to encourage economic growth.
• The expressway connects major cities like Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Mau, and Ghazipur.
• It cuts travel time from Ghazipur to Lucknow from 12 hours to 6 hours and reduces the journey from Ghazipur to Delhi to about 10 hours.
• The construction of the expressway created over 6 million man-days of employment.
• It is expected to boost industries like handloom, food processing, and dairy.
• The expressway was opened to the public on November 16, 2021, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Construction began on October 10, 2018, under the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA)

 

Bundelkhand Expressway

The Bundelkhand Expressway is an important road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It is 296 kilometers long and has 4 lanes, with plans to add 2 more lanes.
• The expressway connects Kudrail village in Etawah district to Gonda village in Chitrakoot district.
• It features 4 railway overbridges, 14 major bridges, 286 minor bridges, 18 flyovers, 6 toll plazas, and 7 ramp plazas.
• There is a 3.75-meter-wide service road on one side for local traffic.
• The expressway passes through cities like Etawah, Auraiya, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda, and Chitrakoot.
• It cuts travel time between these areas and improves links to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Yamuna Expressway.
• It is expected to drive economic growth in the Bundelkhand region, especially in its less developed areas.
• It also makes it easier to reach tourist spots like Chitrakoot Dham.
• The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 29, 2020.
• It opened to the public on July 16, 2022.
• The project, managed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), cost about ₹14,716 crores.

 

Gorakhpur Link Expressway 

The Gorakhpur Link Expressway is a key road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It is 91.352 kilometers long and has 4 lanes, with plans to expand to 6 lanes.
• The road connects Jaitpur village in Gorakhpur district to Salarpur village in Azamgarh district, where it links with the Purvanchal Expressway.
• It has 7 major bridges, 27 minor bridges, 2 toll plazas, 3 ramp plazas, 7 flyovers, 16 vehicular underpasses, 50 light vehicular underpasses, and 35 pedestrian underpasses.
• There is a service road on one side for local traffic.
• The expressway goes through Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, and Azamgarh.
• It is expected to greatly reduce travel time between these areas.
• The project aims to improve economic development and access to tourist spots.
• The foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in 2018.
• Construction started in February 2020, with two companies, APCO Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Dilip Buildcon, managing different parts of the project.
• As of mid-2024, about 97% of the work is done, and the road is expected to open by the end of June 2024.

 

Ganga Expressway

The Ganga Expressway is a major road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• It will be 594 kilometers long in its first phase and has 6 lanes, with plans to add 2 more lanes.
• The road connects Bijauli village in Meerut district to Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj district.
• It features many bridges, flyovers, and underpasses for smooth traffic.
• There’s a 3.75-meter-wide service road on one side for local traffic.
• The expressway passes through major cities including Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj.
• It is expected to cut down travel time between these areas significantly.
• The project aims to improve economic growth and provide better access to tourist spots.
• The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 18, 2021.
• Construction started in 2021, with Adani Enterprises and IRB Infrastructure Developers managing different sections.
• About 55% of the work is done as of mid-2024, and the road is expected to open by December 2025.
• Future plans include extending the road by 110 kilometers to Tigri on the Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand border and by 314 kilometers to Ballia near Varanasi.

 

Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway

The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, also called the Awadh Expressway, is a major road project in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

• The expressway is 63 kilometers long and has 6 lanes, with plans to add 2 more lanes.
• It connects Shaheed Path in Lucknow to Azad Chauraha near Kanpur’s Ganga Bridge.
• Construction is underway, and the road is expected to be finished by June 2025.
• The project is estimated to cost ₹4,700 crore.
• It will include two elevated sections between Amausi and Bani.
• The road will have 3 major bridges, 28 minor bridges, 38 underpasses, and 6 flyovers.
• It will pass through 460 hectares of land, including 11 villages in Lucknow District and 31 villages in Unnao District.
• The expressway will cut travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur from two hours to around 50 minutes.
• It will connect to the Kanpur Outer Ring Road and cross the Ganga Expressway in Unnao.
• The construction is being managed by PNC Infratech, which has two contracts for the work, using an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) model.

 

Ghaziabad-Kanpur Expressway

The Ghaziabad-Kanpur Expressway is a major project designed to improve travel between Ghaziabad and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. 

• It will be about 380 kilometers long and start with 4 lanes, with plans to add 2 more lanes in key areas.
• The road will go through nine districts: Ghaziabad, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Unnao, and Kanpur.
• It is expected to cut travel time between Ghaziabad and Kanpur to around 3 to 5 hours.
• The project will build the road from scratch, rather than upgrading existing roads.
• It is expected to boost the Uttar Pradesh economy by improving travel and making transportation smoother.
• The project is still in the planning and land acquisition stage, with construction set to start after 90% of the land is acquired.
• The expressway is expected to be finished by 2026.
• It will connect major industrial areas, promoting economic growth and is likely to increase real estate development along the route.

 

Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway 

The Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway is a major project aimed at improving travel between Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and Siliguri in West Bengal. 

• It will stretch 519 kilometers (322 miles) and start with 4 lanes, with plans to add 2 more lanes.
• The road will go through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, staying close to the India-Nepal border.
• Travel time will be cut from 14-15 hours to about 8-9 hours.
• It is expected to boost the economy, improve travel, and encourage tourism in Eastern and Northeastern India.
• It is strategically important due to its location near the India-Nepal border.
• Construction started with land acquisition in May 2022 and is expected to be done by 2025.
• The project is estimated to cost ₹32,000 crore and is being built using the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model.
• In Uttar Pradesh, it will begin at the Gorakhpur Ring Road and pass through Deoria and Kushinagar.
• In Bihar, it will go through West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, and Kishanganj.
• The expressway will end in Siliguri, West Bengal.
• It will shorten the distance from 640 km to 519 km and there are plans to extend it to Guwahati, Assam.
• This project is part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, aimed at enhancing infrastructure and connectivity in the region.

 

Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway

The Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway is a big project designed to make travel between Delhi, Saharanpur, and Dehradun faster and easier. 

• It will be 210 kilometers (130 miles) long.
• The first phase will have 12 lanes, while the other phases will each have 6 lanes.
• The route will go from Akshardham in Delhi to Dehradun in Uttarakhand, passing through Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli, and Saharanpur.
• Travel time is expected to drop from about 6.5 hours to just 2.5 hours.
• A special 12-kilometer elevated section will go over Rajaji National Park to protect wildlife.
• The project aims to boost the economy by improving travel and connectivity.
• Construction is underway and should finish by December 2024.
• It’s set to cost around ₹13,000 crore and follows the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model.
• The expressway will be built in phases:
  • Phase 1: From Akshardham to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) Interchange in Baghpat.
  • Phase 2: From the EPE Interchange to the Saharanpur Bypass.
  • Phase 3: From the Saharanpur Bypass to Dehradun.
• The expressway will shorten the travel distance from 235 kilometers to 210 kilometers.
• It will link important cities and support regional growth.

 

Ballia Link Expressway 

The Ballia Link Expressway is a planned road project in Uttar Pradesh.

• It will be 35 kilometers long and have 6 lanes.
• The estimated cost is ₹1,600 crore.
• The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is in charge of it.
• The project will follow the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model.
• This expressway will connect Ballia district, which is on the UP-Bihar border, to the Purvanchal Expressway.
• It will cover several villages, including Badhwalia, Shahapur, and Lakda, and aim to improve transport in eastern UP.
• Currently, the project is still in the proposal phase, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared.
• Land acquisition has not started yet, and the project may be linked with Phase 2 of the Ganga Expressway (Prayagraj to Varanasi).
• Once finished, the expressway will cut down travel time between eastern UP and major cities like Patna, Chhapra, Buxar, Lucknow, Noida, and Delhi.
• It is also expected to help the local economy by making it easier to transport agricultural products to bigger markets.

 

Gorakhpur-Shamli Expressway

The Gorakhpur-Shamli Expressway is a major project in Uttar Pradesh aimed at connecting the eastern and western parts of the state. 

• It will be 700 kilometers long with 6 lanes.
• The project will cost around ₹35,000 crore.
• It will cover 22 districts and 37 tehsils.
• The expressway will pass through:
  • Eastern UP: Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Bahraich
  • Central UP: Lucknow, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Badaun, Rampur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Sambhal
  • Western UP: Bijnor, Amroha, Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli
• Benefits include:
  • Faster Travel: Reduces the travel time between Gorakhpur and Shamli from about 15 hours to around 8 hours.
  • Economic Growth: Expected to boost the economy in the areas it covers.
  • Better Connectivity: Will connect major cities like Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana.
  • Toll charges are yet to be decided by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

 

Agra to Gwalior Expressway

The Agra-Gwalior Expressway is a major project to improve travel between Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. 

• It will be 88.4 kilometers long and have 6 lanes.
• The project is estimated to cost ₹2,497.84 crore and is expected to be completed by 2027.
• It will start at Deori Village in Agra’s Inner Ring Road and end at Susera Village on the Gwalior Bypass.
• The expressway will go through Agra district in Uttar Pradesh, Dholpur district in Rajasthan, and Morena and Gwalior districts in Madhya Pradesh.
• The travel time between Agra and Gwalior will be reduced from 2-3 hours to about 1 hour.
• The improved connectivity will boost economic activities in the areas it serves and provide better access to major highways like the Chambal Expressway and Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
• Currently, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is done, and construction bids were invited in December 2023.
• About 502 hectares of land are needed for the project.
• The expressway will have a design speed of 100 km/h and will include facilities like gas stations, electric charging stations, food malls, and parking areas to make travel easier.

 

Chitrakoot Link Expressway

The Agra to Chitrakoot Link Expressway is a planned project to improve travel between Agra and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh.

• It will be around 296 kilometers long with 4 lanes, which can be expanded to 6 lanes.
• The estimated cost is ₹14,716 crore, and it is expected to be finished by 2027.
• It will start at Kudrail Village on Agra’s Inner Ring Road and end at Bharatkoop on NH-35 in Chitrakoot District.
• The route will pass through Agra, Etawah, Auraiya, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda, and Chitrakoot districts in Uttar Pradesh.
• This expressway will cut down travel time between Agra and Chitrakoot, making it easier to get around.
• It is expected to boost the local economy and improve connections to other major highways and expressways like the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Bundelkhand Expressway.
• The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready, and land acquisition is in progress. Construction is set to begin by early 2025.
• The expressway will have a design speed of 100 km/h and will include gas stations, electric charging stations, food malls, and parking areas for a better travel experience.

 

FAQs

What is an expressway?

An expressway is a type of highway designed for high-speed traffic with limited access points and intersections.

How many expressways are there in Uttar Pradesh?

As of now, Uttar Pradesh has a network of 16 expressways.

Which is the longest expressway in UP?

The Yamuna Expressway is the longest expressway in Uttar Pradesh.

What is the purpose of expressways in UP?

Expressways in UP serve as vital transportation corridors, connecting major cities and industrial hubs, improving connectivity, and boosting economic development.

What are the benefits of expressways for the state?

Expressways reduce travel time, promote economic growth, attract investments, and improve accessibility to various regions.

How are expressways funded in UP?

Expressways in UP are typically funded through a combination of government funds and public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Are there any toll charges on UP expressways?

Yes, most expressways in UP have toll charges.

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com