Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway today on Saturday, July 16. “The state-of-the-art Bundelkhand Expressway passes through 7 districts. The local economy will benefit tremendously due to it. There will be great industrial development in the region and this would bring more opportunities for the local youth,” PM Modi tweeted on Friday.
ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi to Inaugurate 296 km-long Bundelkhand Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on July 16
The expressway, from Chitrakoot to Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, has been completed eight months ahead of deadline. Laying the foundation stone on February 29, 2020 PM Modi had said that “this project will create thousands of job opportunities and connect the common people with facilities in bigger cities.”
Bundelkhand will receive a gift of development from PM @narendramodi on July 16. Prime Minister will inaugurate the #BundelkhandExpressway.
A foundation stone was laid for the expressway by PM Modi himself in February 2020.@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/Hy8MHo3b1Y
— DD News (@DDNewslive) July 15, 2022
Here’s all you need to know about the ambitious project of the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government:
THE REGION
- Bundelkhand is divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lying in the latter state.
- It is situated along the southwestern edge of Uttar Pradesh.
- With a population of 21 million, Bundelkhand ranks among the least developed regions in north-central India.
- According to reports, drought, starvation and debt have claimed several lives in the region.
ALSO READ: EXPLAINED: Uttar Pradesh on Fast Track of Progress With Several Expressways
THE PROJECT
- The Bundelkhand Expressway will supplement nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor announced by the Government of India in February 2018.
- It is being developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
- The four-lane expressway is expandable to six-lane in the future, has 13 interchange points, and will connect seven districts of the state.
Tomorrow, 16th July is a special day for my sisters and brothers of the Bundelkhand region. At a programme in Jalaun district, the Bundelkhand Expressway will be inaugurated. This project will boost the local economy and connectivity. https://t.co/wYy4pRQgx4 pic.twitter.com/Y2liHsxE5U
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2022
THE COST
The entire cost of the project is expected to be Rs 15,000 crore. However, the Yogi Adityanath government has saved Rs 1,132 crore, which is nearly 12.72% of the originally estimated cost, through e-tendering.
KEY FEATURES *
STARTING POINT: Near Bharatkoop at Jhansi-Prayagraj National Highway Number-35 in district Chitrakoot.
ENDING POINT: Near village Kudrail in district Etawah on Agra-Lucknow expressway.
LENGTH: Total 296.070 KM.
DISTRICTS BENEFITED: Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya, and Etawah.
MAIN RIVERS FALLING ON ALIGNMENT: Bagen, Ken, Shyama, Chandawal, Birma, Yamuna, Betwa, and Sengar.
PROPOSED STRUCTURES ON THE EXPRESSWAY: 4 Railway Over Bridges, 14 Large bridges, 6 Toll Plazas, 7 Ramp Plaza, 266 small bridges, and 18 Fly Overs will also be constructed on the expressway.
*Source: upeida.up.gov.in
THE ROUTES
- It will link the Bundelkhand region, considered to be one of the most backward areas of the country, to national capital Delhi through the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway.
- Starting from Jhansi, the Bundelkhand expressway will pass through the UP districts including Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Auraiya and Jalaun, Etawah. From there, it will reach Naseempur via Bateshwar in Agra, and thereafter join with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
- The expressway will have connectivity to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Agra-Noida Expressway.
- The Bundelkhand Expressway is said to reduce the time taken to travel between Chitrakoot and Delhi to just 6 hours.
STORY SO FAR
- September 2019 : 90% land acquisition completed
- January 2020: Tenders awarded
- April 2020: Just 30% workers on site due to COVID-19 pandemic
- March 2021: 50% work completed
- August 2021: 70% work completed
- April 2022: 93% work completed
- July 16: PM Modi to inaugurate
THE DEADLINE AND PROGRESS
January 14, 2023 was the deadline for the completion of the project. But now it is completed eight months before the schedule.
The Bundelkhand Expressway is crucial to the success of the upcoming defence corridor in Uttar Pradesh. Work on an industrial corridor has also begun in the Banda and Jalaun districts.
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