Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 594-km long access-controlled greenfield Ganga Expressway in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh.The six-lane expressway, with top notified speed of 120 kmph, connects 12 districts of UP and reduces the distance between Meerut and Prayagraj from 10-12 hours to 6-8 hours.The PM said, “Just as the Ganga river has been the lifeline of Uttar Pradesh and the country for thousands of years, in the era of modern progress, the Ganga Expressway passing near the divine river, will become the new lifeline of UP’s development.”Mentioning the recently inaugurated Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and the Ganga Expressway, the PM said these emerging expressways were the lifelines that would shape the destiny of a developing India and herald India’s bright future.Speaking in the presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Hardoi, Modi said his presence near the Ganga over the past few days, from West Bengal during the Assembly poll campaign to Kashi and Hardoi constituted a remarkable convergence of faith and infrastructure development.Stating that UP had made remarkable strides in development, the PM said, “The state once labelled as backward is today moving forward to become a 1 trillion dollar economy, a goal backed by equally big preparation owing to the state’s immense capacity and the potential of the country’s large youth population.”He added that vast opportunities were opening for UP’s residents. He added that the state would become a leader in the AI-driven economy.The Ganga Expressway, built at the cost of Rs 36,230 crore, is UP’s longest and one of India’s largest greenfield projects. The six lane access controlled expressway expandable to eight lanes connects 12 districts — Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.The project seeks to boost infrastructure as well as the manufacturing sector. It would also reduce the cost as a percentage of the GDP, besides powering tourism and industry.