Hyderabad (Telangana): Uttar Pradesh government has been busy announcing news projects and making extraordinary promises to woo voters ahead of the upcoming polls in the state. The latest among them is the Puravanchal Expressway, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 16. Interestingly, it will also largely benefit the people of Bihar as it touches several districts, including Patna, Buxar, Bhojpur, Arwal, Rohtas and Jahanabad, making it easier for the people to reach Delhi.
The inauguration of the Expressway comes just a few months prior to the 2022 elections. As it would considerably facilitate the commutation between Lucknow and the nearby districts, the Yogi government is using it thoroughly to its advantage in the purview of the upcoming elections.
Features of the Expressway
The Purvanchal Expressway will run between Ghazipur and the capital of Lucknow, with a total stretch of 340.824 km. The districts that shall be covered under its route map include Lucknow, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Amethi, Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur. It is also linked to other important cities in Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj. After the PM inaugurates the Expressway in Sultanpur, it will be opened for the public.
The construction expenditure of this expressway amounts to a total of INR 22,494 crores. The expense also includes the amount invested in acquiring the land for the project. Although it's a 6-lane expressway at present, it can be extended up to an 8-lane passage. A 300-km journey can be completed in a short time span of just 3 hours and 30 minutes along this expressway.
Additionally, the expressway also features a three km long runway where fighter aircraft can be landed. On September 16, Prime Minister Modi will witness the first airs how to be held here at 3.15 pm, which will be performed by the Indian Airforce. Three fighter jets have already arrived at the expressway and will be used for the 'Touch and Go' operation to be held on the Prime Minister's arrival.
Other major sops
The Yogi government also plans to start the work on the industrial corridor next month. For this project, about 9,179 hectares of land has been secured across 12 districts in the vicinity of the expressway. It is expected that various employment opportunities will be created in sectors like textiles, electronics, food processing,and chemical and pharmaceutical machinery, etc. shall be set up here. The UPDA has also facilitated 13 interchange and 11 toll tax centres. Among these, 6 places have toll plazas, and 5 places have ramp plazas.
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A great advantage for Bihar
The UP government promises that the expressway will not just facilitate easy business, but will also play a major role in strengthening employment in the area.
The Yamuna expressway runs between Delhi and Agra, and from Agra, the Agra-Lucknow Expressway will further reach Lucknow. Thereafter, one may easily reach Ghazipur via Purvanchal Expressway from Lucknow. From Ghazipur, the Bihar border is at a mere distance of 18 km.
Before the inauguration, it was made open for the residents of Buxar (Bihar) on a trial basis, and the results seem to have satisfied the travellers who could easily reach Delhi. Trains like Magadha and Shramjivi Express take about 14-16 hours to reach Delhi, while through the expressway, it will only take 10 hours. Additionally, it will also join Buxar with Shriram Paripath, and the devotee travellers will have easy access to Ayodhya, taking about 3 hours to complete the 225 km run between Ghazipur and Ayodhya through Purvanchal Expressway.
