Over 56 per cent of clearing and grubbing (C&G) work has already been settled in the 594-km-long Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.

Hundred per cent of land acquisition has been completed in the expressway project that will link western Uttar Pradesh with eastern parts of the state besides Delhi-NCR.

Significantly, the length of the airstrip on the Ganga Expressway will assist in emergency take-offs and landing of Indian Air Force (IAF) planes, which will also provide a strategic edge to the country against foreign forces. There are already airstrips on three expressways in the state. Two of these airstrips are located close to two air bases of the Air Force, Agra, and Hindon. With the upcoming Ganga Expressway, the country's security system will further be improved.

Officials said that the unique aspect of the expressway is that it will link other expressways in the state through Lucknow-Agra Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway and Ballia Link Expressway. The 594-km-long six-lane expressway will open the way for better connectivity and will link western Uttar Pradesh with eastern parts of the state and with Delhi-NCR. This will further boost the economic and industrial development of the state.

The Ganga Expressway, passing through 519 villages in 12 districts, will thus emerge as a strong backbone of UP's infrastructure, said a government official.

The UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority has been authorised by the government to build dedicated industrial parks on both sides of the expressway (Meerut, Hapur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Hardoi, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Prayagraj).

The expressway will boost agricultural and industrial income and development. It will also act as a catalyst for the establishment of food processing units, MSMEs, warehouses, mandis and milk-based industries. It will also be an industrial conduit connecting various production units, development centers and agricultural production areas with the national capital.