Gadkari, Adityanath review highway projects in UP, stress faster execution and road safety

Lucknow, Jul 13 (PTI) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said developing world-class road connectivity in Uttar Pradesh was among the Centre's top priorities, while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asserted that the state's expanding highway network would accelerate investment, industry, tourism and employment. The remarks came during a review meeting of major national highway and road infrastructure projects in the state. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Uttar Pradesh government, according to an official statement. "Developing world-class road connectivity in Uttar Pradesh is our priority. The state has emerged as a major engine of the country's economic growth," Gadkari said, directing officials to expedite land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting and other statutory approvals to ensure timely completion of projects. Emphasising road safety, the Union minister said, "Equal attention should be paid to reducing accidents along with road construction. Every national highway project should incorporate safe design, scientific improvement of black spots, modern signage and strict adherence to road safety standards." Gadkari also advocated transplanting trees using modern technology instead of felling them for highway construction, saying development and environmental protection should go hand in hand. Adityanath said, "A modern road infrastructure is the foundation of a developed Uttar Pradesh. Better road connectivity will give fresh momentum to investment, industry, agriculture, tourism, trade and employment." The chief minister said the rapid expansion of road infrastructure would help the state achieve its goal of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy and expressed confidence that coordinated efforts by the Centre and the state would ensure timely completion of all national highway projects. According to the statement, officials informed the meeting that since 2014, about 10,204 km of national highway projects have been awarded in Uttar Pradesh, while construction of 9,329 km has been completed. Between April 2025 and May 2026, projects covering 606 km were sanctioned and 1,010 km of highways completed. Officials said investments of around Rs 1.94 lakh crore had been made in national highway projects in the state, including Rs 23,445 crore during the 2025-26 financial year. Gadkari appreciated measures taken by the Uttar Pradesh government to speed up project implementation, saying the Centre-state coordination had yielded positive results. The meeting reviewed several ongoing and proposed projects, including the Mathura-Bareilly-Sitarganj four-lane highway, Agra-Aligarh four-lane project, Agra-Gwalior-Jhansi-Nagpur Economic Corridor, Kanpur Ring Road, the six-lane connectivity project to Noida International Airport at Jewar, Moradabad-Kashipur highway, Ayodhya Ring Road, Ram Van Gaman Marg, Ram Janaki Marg and the proposed 742-km Shamli-Gorakhpur access-controlled corridor. PTI KIS NB NB