PM inaugurates Purvanchal Expressway

On November 16, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Purvanchal Expressway.

Highlights

• Purvanchal Expressway is a stretch of about 341-kms.
• It is more like an extension of the Greater Noida Expressway, Taj Expressway, and Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

Purvanchal Expressway

• It is a 340.8 km long, 6-lane wide, access-controlled expressway in Uttar Pradesh. The expressway is expandable to 8-lane.
• It connects Chand Saray village in Lucknow district with Haydaria village in Ghazipur district on NH-31.
• The expressway was developed by “Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA)”.
• It also comprises of a 3.2 km long airstrip at Akhalkiri Karwat village near in Sultanpur district for emergency landing of aircrafts.
• It is the longest expressway in India.

Inauguration of the expressway

• Its construction started by the UPEIDA on in October 2018 and was inaugurated on November 16, 2021.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived to inaugurate the expressway, in C-130 Hercules.
• Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets performed ‘touch and go’ operation, under which 30 fighter planes touched the expressway airstrip and then took off.

Background

This project was announced by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in May 2015 as Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia Expressway. Later, Yogi Adityanath government changed the routes to Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ghazipur. Foundation stone of the expressway was laid July 14, 2018 by Prime Minister Modi. The total project value is Rs 22494 crore. It includes land acquisition cost.

About UPEIDA

UPEIDA stands for Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority. It was established in 2007 by Uttar Pradesh government, to develop expressway projects in the state. Its headquarter is at Paryatan Bhawan in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2021