PM Modi inaugurates 296-km long Bundelkhand Expressway worth Rs 14,850 cr in UP

New Delhi, July 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district in Uttar Pradesh. He had laid the foundation stone of Bundelkhand Expressway on 29 February, 2020. It passes through seven districts, Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.

Ahead of inauguration, 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.''

According to officials, the four-lane expressway has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crores. It 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.

The expressway will have four railway bridges 18 big bridges along with 286 small bridges. Provision of Rainwater harvesting has also been made at every 500 meters on the expressway. The fourth expressway project in Uttar Pradesh has been completed in record 28 months - 8 months ahead of its deadline.

The project is also significant as most of it was completed during the Covid-19 pandemic and was one of the sources for providing employment to migrant labourers returning to the state.

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. Work on the creation of industrial corridor in Banda and Jalaun districts, next to the Expressway, has already been started.