Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday (November 16). PM Modi will land on the 340-km airstrip in the Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.

Calling it a “a special day for Uttar Pradesh’s growth trajectory”, PM Modi said, “This project brings with it multiple benefits for UP’s economic and social progress.”

The inauguration ceremony will also be attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who said that the Purvanchal Expressway will be the backbone of the economy of the state’s eastern region.

A 45-minute air show has also been organised by the IAF and multiple landings and takeoffs will be done from the airstrip by Indian Air Force fighter jets in front of PM Modi and CM Yogi. Under the ‘touch and go’ operation, the fighter plane will touch the expressway and then take off. Planes like Sukhoi, Mirage, Rafale, AN 32 will be included in the air show.

ABOUT PURVANCHAL EXPRESSWAY

The Purvanchal Expressway, which has been constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 22,500 crore, will connect the state capital Lucknow with the eastern districts including Mau, Azamgarh, Barabanki with the major cities of Prayagraj and Varanasi. The 341-km Purvanchal Expressway will originate from Chandsarai village on the Lucknow-Sultanpur highway. It will pass through Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and terminate at Haldaria village in Ghazipur district.

The six-lane expressway will be expandable up to eight lanes. Once it is opened to the public, the travel time from Lucknow to Ghazipur will be reduced from 6 hours to 3.5 hours. This journey will be free for some days now. The work of collecting toll tax will be given to the private company.

The expressway will have a three-km long runway at Kudebhar in Sultanpur district. This runway has been proposed for landing and take-off of fighter jets of the Indian Air Force during an emergency situation.

Additional Chief Secretary Avanish Awasthi said the Purvanchal Expressway is the biggest project of Uttar Pradesh. He said that industrial corridors will be built on both sides, which will have machinery, food processing, dairy-milk development.