Ganga Expressway gets night landing strip for IAF fighter jets; airshow scheduled on May 2

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced the extension of the Ganga Expressway to Ghazipur, linking regions such as Agra, Haridwar, and Bundelkhand.

With the extension, the Ganga Expressway will not only ease travel across Uttar Pradesh but also act as a strategic link between key economic hubs in the state and beyond, the state government said.

Key Features of the Ganga Expressway

The Ganga Expressway will feature six lanes, with the flexibility to expand to eight lanes if traffic demands increase in the future. With a right-of-way (ROW) width of 120 meters and a design speed of 120 km/h, the expressway is designed to provide a fast and efficient transportation route.

Nine public facilities complexes are under construction, ensuring passengers have easy access to essential amenities during their travel.

A highlight of the extension is the connectivity it will bring between Meerut and Haridwar. The Uttar Pradesh government has already allocated Rs 50 crore for the current year’s budget to support the construction of the expressway.

According to the state government, plans are underway to establish an industrial hub along the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, generating employment opportunities for thousands of youths.

The UP government is also working to link the Ganga Expressway with the Bundelkhand Expressway through a dedicated link expressway from Farrukhabad.

Night landing facility for IAF fighter jets

Another critical feature of the Ganga Expressway is its planned night landing facility for Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets. A 3.5-km stretch of the expressway in Shahjahanpur will become the country’s first expressway with this facility.

An airshow is scheduled to be held on this airstrip on May 2 and 3 and night landing is planned on the Ganga Expressway in the presence of the CM, said a press statement issued by the state government.
Nearly 250 CCTV cameras will be installed along the airstrip to ensure the safety of travellers and military personnel.

The Uttar Pradesh government is optimistic that the Ganga Expressway will be completed by November 2025. Once finished, it will improve the travel experience for the commuters. It will also serve as a critical link for the movement of goods, people, and military assets, thereby driving economic growth in the region, the state government said.