Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday held a comprehensive review meeting with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to assess the progress of major National Highway and road infrastructure projects across the state.
The meeting included detailed discussions on proposals submitted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Uttar Pradesh government.
“Modern road infrastructure forms the foundation of a Viksit Uttar Pradesh and will provide fresh momentum to investment, industry, agriculture, tourism, trade, and employment,” CM Yogi said.
Gadkari said Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a key driver of India’s economic growth, making the development of world-class road connectivity in the state one of the Central Government’s highest priorities. He directed officials to expedite all projects by ensuring timely completion of land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting, and other statutory formalities.
The NHAI Chairman informed the meeting that National Highway development in Uttar Pradesh has gained unprecedented momentum since 2014. During this period, around 10,204 km of National Highway projects have been awarded, while nearly 9,329 km have already been completed. Between April 2025 and May 2026, 606 km of new projects were approved and 1,010 km of National Highways were completed.
Officials said investments of nearly ₹1.94 lakh crore have been made in National Highway projects across the state, including around ₹23,445 crore during the financial year 2025-26. They added that measures such as constituting a task force under the Chief Secretary, providing royalty-free soil for Greenfield projects, sharing land acquisition costs for ring roads and bypasses, and making government land available free of cost have significantly accelerated project implementation.
Appreciating these initiatives, Gadkari said the positive impact of effective coordination between the Centre and the state was clearly visible in the progress of highway projects.
Reviewing major ongoing projects, officials informed that the Mathura-Bareilly-Sitarganj four-lane highway, being developed at an estimated cost of ₹13,980 crore, the Agra-Aligarh four-lane project worth around ₹5,904 crore, the Agra-Gwalior-Jhansi-Nagpur Economic Corridor, the Kanpur Ring Road, the six-lane connectivity project to Noida International Airport at Jewar, and the Moradabad-Kashipur four/six-lane project are progressing as scheduled. These projects are expected to strengthen connectivity between the National Capital Region, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and major industrial and logistics hubs.
While reviewing the Bareilly Bypass project, Gadkari stressed the need to balance development with environmental conservation. He directed officials to transplant trees using modern technology instead of cutting them wherever feasible.
The meeting also reviewed projects aimed at improving connectivity in eastern, central, and Bundelkhand regions. Officials said work is progressing rapidly on the Sonauli-Gorakhpur four-lane project, the Ghazipur-Ballia-Bihar border National Highway, the Prayagraj Southern Ring Road, and the Prayagraj-Jaunpur-Azamgarh-Doharighat National Highway corridor. These projects are expected to improve connectivity with the India-Nepal border, the Buddhist tourism circuit, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar while boosting trade, tourism, and freight movement.
Officials also briefed the meeting on the Ayodhya Ring Road, which will provide seamless connectivity to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, and other key religious sites while easing traffic congestion within the city.
The review also covered religious and cultural infrastructure projects, including the Ram Van Gaman Marg, Ram Janaki Marg, and the 84 Kosi Parikrama Marg. Once completed, these roads will improve connectivity to Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Janakpur in Nepal, and several other important pilgrimage destinations.
“These projects are not merely aimed at improving road connectivity but will also provide new momentum to India’s cultural heritage, religious tourism, and local economies,” CM Yogi said.
The meeting further reviewed strategically important future projects. Officials informed that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared for the Ayodhya-Gonda and Rewa-Ranchi four-lane highways. The proposed 742-km access-controlled four-lane National Highway from Shamli to Gorakhpur was also discussed.
Describing the corridor as a transformative project, the Chief Minister said it would redefine connectivity between western and eastern Uttar Pradesh and play a crucial role in promoting industrial growth, investment, agriculture, and strategic development.
Officials also reviewed projects under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, including the Deva-Fatehpur four-lane highway, the Vrindavan Bypass, the Kasia-Paniahwa National Highway, the Hadia Chauraha-Karmaini Ghat road, the Kudarkot-Bela Chowk road, the Colonelganj and West Gonda bypasses, and the proposed Ramadevi-Gol Chauraha elevated corridor in Kanpur.
The Chief Minister directed officials to prioritise land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting, and other departmental approvals to ensure timely execution of all projects. Officials informed the meeting that ten National Highway projects covering around 267 km are currently under the tendering process, while work on three additional projects will begin shortly.
The meeting also reviewed projects approved under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) and proposed ropeway projects in Vrindavan and Prayagraj being developed by National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML).
“Integrating religious and spiritual tourism with modern transport infrastructure is one of the state government’s priorities,” Yogi said, directing departments to complete all pending approvals and procedural requirements without delay.
The Uttar Pradesh government also presented proposals for the construction of a new bridge parallel to the Naini Bridge in Prayagraj, a permanent policy for restoring state roads damaged during National Highway construction, and the proposed North-South Corridor.
Emphasising the importance of the proposed corridor, the Chief Minister said that connecting different regions of the state through a high-capacity north-south road network is vital for economic growth, industrial investment, and balanced regional development. Gadkari assured that the proposals would be considered positively.
The meeting also discussed expanding the National Highway network, upgrading two-lane and narrower roads in phases, ensuring four-lane connectivity between Lucknow and districts currently lacking such access, and developing four-lane National Highways linking 33 district headquarters. Proposals for ring roads in Moradabad, Aligarh, Devipatan, Jhansi, Mirzapur, and Saharanpur, along with bypasses in Farrukhabad, Shravasti, and Maharajganj, were also reviewed.
“Providing high-quality road infrastructure to every region of the state remains a top priority,” the Chief Minister said.
Discussions also focused on financial support for road infrastructure projects, development of modern entry gateways at interstate borders, and strengthening road safety measures.
Gadkari stressed that road safety must remain the highest priority, directing officials to incorporate safe road design, scientific rectification of accident-prone black spots, modern signage, and strict adherence to road safety standards in every National Highway project.
“The rapid expansion of road infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh will provide fresh momentum to the state’s goal of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy. Improved National Highways will create new opportunities for investment, industry, agriculture, tourism, trade, and employment across the state,” CM Yogi said.
He expressed confidence that with coordinated efforts by the Centre and the state government, all National Highway projects would be completed within the stipulated timelines, making Uttar Pradesh a leader in modern, safe, and world-class road infrastructure.
(DD News)
