The Ganga Expressway project linking Meerut with Prayagraj, a dream project of the Yogi Adityanath government, is likely to be put on fast track. 

The Uttar Pradesh government is likely to make a provision of Rs 1,000 crore for the mega infrastructure project in the first supplementary budget of 2019-20 during the monsoon session of UP Assembly starting from July 8.

The mega project was announced by the Chief Minister during the Kumbh at Prayagraj this year.

In the first phase, the 596 km-long, six-lane expressway project will connect Meerut with Prayagraj.

Sources said on Saturday that the total length of the expressway would be 1020 km as it was proposed to link Ballia with Prayagraj, Meerut and Bijnor.

The government, however, intends to commence the acquisition of land for the first phase of the project between Prayagraj and Meerut after the detailed project report (DPR) is submitted and approved.

Earlier in 2007, former Chief Minister of UP and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati had also announced the ambitious expressway project estimated to cost Rs 40,000 crore. 

The expressway is proposed to be constructed at a distance of 10 km from the banks of river Ganga. This has been done to comply with the environmental regulations as well as give local residents maximum benefits.

The Ganga Expressway will be built in two phases. In the first phase, the 596 km road stretch from Meerut to Prayagraj will be built. In the second phase, 110 km road will be built from Tigri, a small town of national capital Delhi, to Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border and another section of 314 km will be built from Prayagraj to Ballia.

In the first phase, alignment will be done from Meerut to Prayagraj. The phase one will start from Outer Ring Road of Meerut junction SH78 and end at Malwan Khurd village  in Prayagraj district on Jhansi-Sahson road.

The first phase of the Ganga Expressway will cover 12 districts — Meerut, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Hapur, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.

The expressway will have four lanes (expandable to six-lane greenfield) with a design speed of 120 km/hr. It will have five major bridges over river Ganga, Ram Ganga, Garra, eight road over bridges and 18 flyovers.

The tentative project cost of phase one of the Ganga Expressway is Rs 22,090.06 crore for civil works and additional land acquisition cost of Rs 35,952 crore. The funding of the project will be done by a combination of debt (70 per cent) and equity (30 per cent).