Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ambitious 594-km Ganga Expressway project on Wednesday, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in attendance.The expressway promises to be a test case of how road infrastructure can boost manufacturing, reduce logistics cost as a percentage of GDP, and power tourism and industrial growth.Travel time cutThe six-lane, access-controlled expressway—expandable to eight lanes—connects Meerut to Prayargaj and the 12 districts that fall on the way. Travel time between the two cities will now be down from 10 to 12 hours to about six to eight hours.CostBuilt at a cost of Rs 36,230 crore, the expressway is the longest in Uttar Pradesh and one of India’s largest greenfield projects. It is also designed to serve as an industrial corridor.Industrial boostThe Uttar Pradesh government says it will develop 12 integrated manufacturing and logistics clusters along the expressway and has acquired 6,507 acres of land for the purpose. The state has already received more than 900 proposals worth Rs 47,000 crore.Top speedThe expressway has a maximum design speed of 120 kmph. It passes through the districts of Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shajahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.Strategic pitchThere is a 3.5 km airstrip in Shahjahanpur which can support any emergency fighter aircraft landings so the Ganga Expressway can serve a purpose beyond civil and road infrastructure.