Aero buses soon, Lucknow-Kanpur expressway in 3-4 months: Gadkari
Expressway being built using automated intelligent machine and guided construction technology, which ensures superior road quality and zero potholes for the next decade, says minister
LUCKNOW Aero buses will soon operate on Lucknow roads at fares 30% lower than the traditional buses while the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway would be completed in the next three to four months, with the Prime Minister scheduled to inaugurate it, announced Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari during the inauguration of major projects here on Friday.
He said the expressway is being built using automated intelligent machine and guided construction technology, which ensures superior road quality and zero potholes for the next decade.
“You will be tired of demanding funds for good projects, but I will not be tired of giving you the money for projects,” he said, adding that: “Uttar Pradesh is no longer a BIMARU state.”
The 2.7-km Indira Nagar Sector 25 to Khurram Nagar-Kalyanpur flyover at a cost of ₹270 crore and the 1.86-km Polytechnic to Munshipulia crossing flyover at ₹170 crore were among many projects launched. A total of 114 development projects worth ₹1,028 crore were launched and foundation stones for several future projects laid.
Gadkari emphasised the significance of reducing logistics costs to stimulate India’s economic growth. While the logistics cost in Western countries and China is around 12%, India’s current logistics cost stands at 16%. However, the government aims to reduce this to single-digit levels, which could potentially spell economy’s growth by 1.5 times and generate millions of job opportunities for the youth.
The minister said road projects worth ₹3.5 lakh crore in UP have already been approved with plans to reach ₹5 lakh crore in near future. He outlined that ₹1.25 lakh crore worth of roads have already been completed, while ₹1 lakh crore worth of projects are under construction, and another ₹1 lakh crore worth are in the pipeline. Additionally, to drive industrial growth in Purvanchal, a massive ₹75,000 crore road network is planned, connecting Varanasi to Kolkata and Gorakhpur to Siliguri.
He emphasised that infrastructure development isn’t just about building roads, it’s also about advancing fuel technology. The government is actively promoting the use of biofuels, ethanol, electric vehicles, and CNG vehicles, aiming to make farmers not only food providers but also contributors to the country’s energy and fuel needs.
The minister commended chief minister Yogi Adityanath for establishing “Ram Rajya” in the state, highlighting improvements in power supply, road infrastructure, and law & order under his leadership.
“Our farmers are not just anna-daata (food providers); they are also urja-daata (energy providers), idhan daata (biofuel providers), and damar daata (road material providers). Soon, they will also become hydrogen daata,” Gadkari explained.
Quoting former US President John F. Kennedy, Gadkari shared, “I have a quote in my office: ‘American roads are not good because America is rich; rather, America is rich because of good roads.’” He stressed the importance of infrastructure in fostering national prosperity.
Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh praised Yogi Adityanath for his exceptional leadership, saying, “Yogi has performed extraordinary, charismatic work in the state.”
Singh also highlighted the significant growth in Lucknow, noting, “In the past 25 years, the number of registered vehicles in the state capital has increased from 5 lakh to 25 lakh.”