Uttar Pradesh is rapidly emerging as a frontrunner on India’s infrastructure map. With the inauguration of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, the state now commands 42% of the country’s total access-controlled expressway network, a jump from 38%.

According to Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, this figure is set to rise even further, reaching 62% once the 594-km Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Prayagraj is completed. That means nearly 6 out of every 10 km of India’s expressways will run through UP, firmly establishing it as the backbone of the nation’s road connectivity.

Uttar Pradesh currently boasts 7 operational expressways, including major stretches like the Purvanchal Expressway (341 km) and Agra-Lucknow Expressway (302 km).

Three more expressways are under construction, such as the Ganga Expressway and the Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Expressway, while 8 additional corridors are proposed to further enhance connectivity across regions like Bundelkhand, Terai, and Purvanchal.

A major milestone in UP’s infrastructure journey, the 91-km Gorakhpur Link Expressway has been completed at a cost of ₹7,200 crore, with land acquired from 22,000 farmers, paving the way for accelerated development in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

With more than 1,200 km of access-controlled expressways now operational, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 42% of India’s total expressway network, which currently stands at 2,900 km nationwide.

These high-speed corridors are rapidly transforming UP into a logistics powerhouse, slashing travel time, enhancing trade routes, and connecting underserved regions like Chitrakoot and Ballia.

Describing them as the “arteries of economic growth,” Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh highlighted their role in unlocking opportunities across jobs, education, and healthcare.

With over 2,000 km of expressways under construction or in the planning phase, Uttar Pradesh is firmly establishing itself as India’s ‘Express State’, racing ahead of other regions in the infrastructure game.