Ganga Expressway – Information & Status

594 km Ganga Expressway project by UPEIDA is an approved 6 lane greenfield access-controlled highway with a route alignment connecting NH-334 in Meerut District with NH-2 at Prayagraj (Allahabad) Bypass in Prayagraj District.

Ganga Expressway’s foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Modi in Shahjahanpur on December 18, 2021.

This greenfield project was first announced in 2008 connect Noida with Ballia. Since then, the project in Phase 1 has been revised to connect Meerut with Prayagraj. In Phase 2, the expressway will be extended by 110 km to Tigri on the Uttar Pradesh / Uttrakhand Border and by 314 km to Ballia near Varanasi.

In February 2021, Uttar Pradesh’s state government decided to extend the project on either end – from Meerut to Haridwar and from Prayagraj to Varanasi from the get-go. A detailed project report (DPR) for this has not yet been prepared.

In September 2021, Uttar Pradesh Government’s cabinet approved the project’s construction. The project received environmental clearance (EC) in November 2021.

• Total Estimated Cost: Rs. 40,000 crore
• Project’s Total Length: 594 km
• Lanes: 6 (expandable to 8)
• Status: Land acquisition (82.04% complete as of July 11, 2021) and RFQ-RFP bidding underway
• Bidders: Adani Enterprises, Ashoka Buildcon and IRB Infrastructure Developers
• Deadline: Not Announced
• Owner: Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA)
• Project Model: DBFOT under PPP

The project’s detailed project report (DPR) was prepared by L N Malviya Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd., Highway Engineering Consultant and Infratech Civil Solutions (Consortium).

Design

Six lane Ganga Expressway’s structures will be constructed of 8 lane width to allow for future expansion. Its right of way (ROW) has been proposed at 120 meters with a 3.75m service road on one side of the expressway for local village traffic.

Current Status

Ganga Expressway’s land acquisition for about 6,556 hectares started in December 2020. As of July 11, 2021 – 82.04% of it has been acquired.

In March 2021, UPEIDA invited tenders (RFQ & RFP) for the expressway’s development through 4 groups each consisting of 3 packages. On November 30, Adani Enterprises and IRB Infrastructure Developers emerged as the preferred bidders for the expressway’s development.

Route Map

The expressway will pass through 12 districts of Meerut, Amroha, Bulandshahar, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratagarh and Prayagraj.

The following not-so-pretty map from UPEIDA’s tender documents related to survey-work shows Ganga Expressway’s alignment and start/end points.

Tentative route map of Ganga Expressway

Tenders & Contractors

Phase 1 of Ganga Expressway has been divided into 12 civil packages. In March 2021, UPEIDA invited tenders (RFQ & RFP) for the expressway’s development through 4 groups each consisting of 3 packages.

Technical bids were opened on November 23 to reveal 3 bidders: Adani Enterprises, Ashoka Buildcon and IRB Infrastructure Developers.

On November 30, Adani Enterprises and IRB Infrastructure Developers emerged as the preferred bidders for the expressway’s development. IRB bagged Group 1 consisting of Packages 1-3, while Adani bagged Groups 2-4 consisting of Packages 4-12.