India opens $4 billion expressway spanning 600 km in most populous state

​Indian Prime Minister Narendra ​Modi opened one ‌of the ​country's longest expressways on Wednesday, connecting 12 districts over nearly 600 km (370 miles) ‌in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh. Here are some details: * The expressway has been built at a ‌cost of 362.30 billion rupees ($3.82 billion) by Adani Enterprises and ‌IRB Infrastructure Developers. * The six-lane greenfield corridor, the longest in the northern state, will significantly reduce the time taken to travel from Meerut ⁠in ​the east ⁠to Prayagraj in the west, covering 594 km.

​Indian Prime Minister Narendra ​Modi opened one ‌of the ​country's longest expressways on Wednesday, connecting 12 districts over nearly 600 km (370 miles) ‌in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

Here are some details: * The expressway has been built at a ‌cost of 362.30 billion rupees ($3.82 billion) by Adani Enterprises and ‌IRB Infrastructure Developers.

* The six-lane greenfield corridor, the longest in the northern state, will significantly reduce the time taken to travel from Meerut ⁠in ​the east ⁠to Prayagraj in the west, covering 594 km. * Named after the ⁠holy Ganga river that flows through the state, the government expects ​the expressway to be a launchpad for industrial corridors.

* ⁠The Indian government has significantly increased its spending on infrastructure after ⁠the ​COVID-19 pandemic, with a record 12.2 trillion rupees allotted for spending in this year's budget. * A slew ⁠of recent projects connecting major cities have been part of a ⁠broader ⁠push by the government to enhance agricultural and industrial development and boost tourism in cities and ‌towns.