Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurate the Bundelkhand Expressway - a 296-km four-lane highway that has been built at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore. The inauguration ceremony of the Bundelkhand Expressway was held at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district.
PM Modi said that the expressway will enable seamless connectivity and greater economic prosperity in the region. "With this expressway, there will be an industrial boom in the region. It is the Modi & Yogi govt, we will take development not just to cities but to villages," he further said.
Praising Yogi's government, PM Modi said, "Under CM Yogi Adityanath's leadership, UP seeing major transformation with better law and order, fast-improving connectivity: PM Modi."
"If two things- law & order situation & connectivity were to be corrected, I knew this would become a state that can fight against all odds. We improved both. Law & order situation is improving, so is connectivity," he further said.
Addressing the gathering, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, "This is a historic day when the 296 km long Bundelkhand Expressway is being inaugurated. This will add a new dimension to economy of Bundelkhand & of state. The expressway will go through 7 districts & then connect with Agra- Lucknow expressway."
Bundelkhand Expressway
The foundation stone of the Expressway was laid by PM in February, 2020 and the work on the expressway has been completed within record 28 months.
The four-lane expressway has been constructed under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), and can later be expanded upto six lanes as well.
It extends from NH-35 at Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to near Kudrail village in Etawah district, where it merges with the Agra-Lucknow expressway. It passes through seven districts, viz. Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.
Along with improving connectivity in the region, the Bundelkhand Expressway will also give a major boost to economic development, resulting in the creation of thousands of jobs for the local people, Government of India said in an official statement.
It also said that the work on the creation of industrial corridor in Banda and Jalaun districts, next to the Expressway, has already been started.