Uttar Pradesh is making new milestones in the basic infrastructure of roads, expressways and aviation.
The growing number of such projects have positioned UP as a veritable hub of investment at national and international levels.
“Under UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, the state is witnessing rapid transformation in transport and connectivity under the vision of Viksit UP @2047,” a senior official said.
Before 2017, the pace of infrastructure growth in these sectors was sluggish, he claimed adding, the Yogi government has accorded unprecedented momentum to projects.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), UP’s road length grew from 51,549 km in 2013-14 to 56,846 km by 2016-17, while air connectivity too remained limited, with passenger numbers rising by only 5.5 million in 17 years between 1999 and 2016.
At that time, the state had merely three expressways and a few functional airports, he added.
After 2017, the Yogi government adopted an integrated approach to road, air, and water transport, giving infrastructure development a new momentum.
Under PMGSY, road length expanded sharply to 77,425 km by 2024-25. The state also surged in expressways – launching a mega campaign to build 22 expressways. Today, UP is known as the ‘Expressway State’.
In aviation, UP registered a big leap, with 12 domestic and 4 international airports now operational — making the state one of the fastest-growing aviation hubs in India.
Projects such as the Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, and Gorakhpur Link Expressway are not only boosting internal connectivity but also strengthening UP’s position as a logistics hub.
To further expand the expressway network, several new projects have started. These include the Ganga Expressway, Chitrakoot Link Expressway, Lucknow Link Expressway, Farrukhabad Link Expressway, Jewar Link Expressway, Jhansi Link Expressway, Vindhya Expressway, Vindhya-Purvanchal Link Expressway, Meerut-Haridwar Link Expressway (via Muzaffarnagar), and Chitrakoot-Rewa Link Expressway.
Once completed, these projects will not only strengthen the state’s road network but also improve connectivity with neighbouring states.
In 2004-05, UP’s national highway network was 5,599 km, which increased to 12,292 km by 2023-24.
This more than twofold growth accelerated trade, freight movement, and industrial development within the state. It reduced logistics costs and established UP as a strategic transit hub in North India.
Today, the number of airports in UP has risen to 16 including 5 under construction. These include 12 domestic and 4 international airports.
Notably, Jewar international airport will soon rank among Asia’s largest airports and will give UP a new identity as a cargo and transit hub.
Before 2017, in 17 years, the number of air passengers grew by only 5.5 million, while in the past eight years it has increased by 8.2 million.
In 2025, the number of air passengers is estimated to reach 14.2 million, which will give a new flight to UP’s aviation sector.
After revolutionary change in east-west connectivity, the Yogi government is now working to build a vast north-south connectivity network by 2030.
Plans include linking all district headquarters with expressways, developing multipurpose transit hubs on the Nepal border, and constructing world-class ropeways at major tourist destinations.
Adityanath’s vision is that by 2047, every division in UP will have its own world-class airport.
The goal is to connect all 75 districts through expressways and air connectivity.
Additionally, green smart highways, air cargo hubs, heliports, and a modern aviation ecosystem will establish UP as a global connectivity centre.