Lucknow, July 14 — Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said road projects worth Rs 5 lakh crore will be completed in Uttar Pradesh over the next two years, and announced new such projects worth Rs 50,000-60,000 crore for the state.
Infrastructure expansion and modern connectivity remain central to the regional development strategy as administrative leaders finalized plans to accelerate major highway networks across the territory. The high-level coordination focused on streamlining ongoing National Highway projects to enhance trade corridors, investment opportunities, and agricultural transport frameworks.
During a comprehensive project assessment on Monday, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari declared that developing world-class connectivity in the region is a top priority for the central government.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath affirmed that robust transport networks serve as the foundation for broader economic progress, providing vital momentum to tourism, local commerce, and industrial manufacturing hubs.
Financial and physical reports presented at the meeting indicated unprecedented progress, with an investment of approximately ₹1.94 lakh crore directed toward national corridors since 2014, resulting in the completion of over 9,300 kilometers of roads. Recent milestones between April 2025 and May 2026 alone accounted for the approval of 606 kilometers of new initiatives and the completion of 1,010 kilometers of highways, assisted by localized administrative measures such as royalty-free soil provisioning and shared land acquisition costs.
Calling infrastructure the foundation of economic development, Gardkari said better roads boost trade, industry, investment and employment while helping reduce poverty and unemployment.
Gadkari said UP’s pace of development had accelerated after 2014 and described the state as the “heart of India”, asserting that India’s growth was closely linked to its progress.
The review painted critical under-construction projects, including the Agra-Aligarh four-lane layout, the Mathura-Bareilly-Sitarganj corridor, and key ring roads designed to link major industrial hubs with the National Capital Region. The federal minister asserted that infrastructural progress must balance environmental conservation, directing teams to employ modern transplanting technologies for existing trees rather than relying on standard clearing methods.
Progress was also reported on specialized corridors of cultural and economic significance, such as the Sonauli-Gorakhpur four-lane project and the Ram Van Gaman Marg, which are expected to optimize regional logistics and border trade. To maintain the long-term integrity of these networks, the Union Minister maintained that road safety design, scientific identification of accident-prone areas, and modern signage must be seamlessly integrated into every upcoming development phase.
The minister also announced the widening of the Lucknow-Sitapur highway to six lanes at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore, reducing travel time from two hours to about 50 minutes.
He said he recently travelled from Kanpur to Lucknow in just 22 minutes. He also said the Centre was exploring electric mass rapid transit systems, including ropeways and elevated electric buses, while noting that metro projects do not fall under his ministry’s mandate.
