ADB has approved a project loan of $300 million to upgrade over 400 km of major district roads (MDRs) in Uttar Pradesh, to improve maintenance and strengthen road safety on the MDRs forming part of the state’s core road network. The project supports the state government’s core road network improvement master plan, under which the government plans to improve roads through a combination of state, private and multilateral resources. The loan, which is ADB’s first road sector assistance to Uttar Pradesh, will be used to improve around 430 km of MDRs, upgrading them to standard design widths, suitable for use in all weather conditions and with safety features, including widened and strengthened culverts and bridges. Along with ADB’s loan, the Uttar Pradesh government will provide counterpart support of $128 million. The project will run for almost five years with an expected completion date of end-March 2021.