The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) shared on its official X handle that the Ganga Expressway is all set to open next month. The 594-km-long Ganga Expressway, India’s longest expressway, is set to become operational next month, following the successful trial run of FASTag-enabled toll booths. Officials said the contactless toll collection system performed smoothly during testing, clearing one of the final hurdles before the massive infrastructure project opens to the public.
The expressway, being developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), runs across 12 districts—Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj—promising a major boost to east–west connectivity in Uttar Pradesh.FASTag toll booth trials clear key milestoneTrial implementations of the FASTag-based tolling system have recently been carried out at several places on the expressway, and one such test has already been completed at Badaun district with success. In fact, when the cars slowed down, the boom barriers opened smoothly after scanning the FASTag fixed on the cars.
The officials involved in the test activities stated that the efficiency and ability of the contactless toll collection system have already been proven by these trials and that this new tolling system will eventually ease traffic congestion once the expressway opens.Read more: India’s first Howrah–Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Train to launch on 17 Dec: Everything you need to knowSeveral toll plazas on the route are being developed. Following the successful test in Badaun, similar FASTag trials are underway across other stretches under different project groups.Senior state government officials have confirmed that the Ganga Expressway is almost complete and currently in the final phase before operations begin. Built on a massive scale, the expressway crosses 140 water bodies and includes extensive supporting infrastructure such as:7 road overbridges17 interchanges14 major bridges and 126 minor bridges28 flyovers50 vehicle underpasses171 light vehicle underpasses160 small vehicle underpasses946 culvertsThe purpose of this network of bridges and underpasses is to minimize disturbance to nearby areas while facilitating the efficient flow of both local and long-distance traffic.Read more: Entire family denied US Visitor Visa: Find out what went wrongAlong with connection, other factors like ride experience and road safety have been given importance by this project. In a bid to implement highly advanced AI-assisted monitoring systems on the expressway, the Uttar Pradesh state government has joined hands with ETH Zurich University, as well as the Swiss entity RTDT Laboratories AG.Under this system, an Innova vehicle equipped with vibration technology and seven accelerometer sensors—four measuring road quality and three assessing comfort—has been inspecting all six lanes of the expressway. The sensors collect real-time data on surface conditions, comfort levels and elevation variations, which can be tracked through online graphs. According to officials, this is a change from previous procedures where road quality inspections were only done after construction was finished, which frequently made it challenging to fix flaws. Road undulations and comfort difficulties can now be identified and fixed during the construction phase thanks to Swiss technology.The Gorakhpur Link Expressway is expected to employ the same technology following its successful deployment on the Ganga Expressway.What this expressway means for Uttar Pradesh
When completed and fully functional, it will be expected that this expressway will enable people to travel from the western side of the Uttar Pradesh province to the eastern side at drastically reduced times compared to current routines due to longer routes. This will be particularly important in relation to people from the western states moving east.With FASTag trials completed, construction nearing its end, and advanced safety monitoring already in place, officials say the expressway is now firmly on track to open next month, marking a major milestone in Uttar Pradesh’s infrastructure expansion.