Early Times Report LUCKNOW, July 21: At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, the Cabinet approved four major projects aimed at further strengthening Uttar Pradesh's expressway network. The Cabinet approved the revised and final Request for Proposal (RFP) for two Link Expressway projects connecting the Agra-Lucknow Expressway with the Purvanchal Expressway and the Ganga Expressway. It also approved the alignment of the Vindhya Expressway and the Vindhya-Purvanchal Spur Link. A 50.98-km-long six-lane (expandable to eight lanes in the future) Greenfield Link Expressway will be constructed on the EPC model to connect the Agra-Lucknow Expressway with the Purvanchal Expressway. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 4,775.84 crore. Similarly, a 90.84-km-long six-lane (expandable to eight lanes in the future) Greenfield Link Expressway will be constructed at a cost of Rs 7,488.74 crore to connect the Agra-Lucknow Expressway with the Ganga Expressway via Farrukhabad. Altogether, the Cabinet has given the green signal to these two link projects worth more than Rs 12,264 crore. Following the Cabinet's approval, the tender process for the selection of developers for both projects will commence. The selected agency will be required to complete the construction work within approximately 36 months and will also be responsible for the maintenance of the projects for five years thereafter. The objective of the Yogi Government is to interconnect the Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal and Ganga Expressways to create a strong expressway grid. This will make long-distance travel faster, safer and more convenient. The Cabinet also approved the six-lane (expandable to eight lanes in the future) Greenfield alignment of the Vindhya Expressway. The estimated cost of this ambitious project is approximately Rs 26,315 crore. Under the project, Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra will receive improved road connectivity. |