Purvanchal Expressway: Route, Map, Cost, Features, And More

In order to ensure better infrastructure and to bring enhanced comfort to people, new expressways are built from time to time. For instance, the Delhi Amritsar expressway is one of the important routes now. Here, we are going to talk about the Purvanchal Expressway which is one of the latest expressways in India. It has aided in smooth and better connectivity and at the same time, creates several employment opportunities as well. There are other expressways you can check out like the Mumbai Nagpur expressway also.

The Purvanchal Expressway Details

One of the latest entries to the field of Indian expressways has to be the Purvanchal expressway. It is being constructed in the Uttar Pradesh area and was opened for public use back on November 14th, 2021. PM Narendra Modi himself did the inauguration of this expressway as he came down to Karwal Kheri in the Sultanpur district for the opening ceremony. With the help of this expressway, the connectivity between Uttar Pradesh Delhi and other adjoining states is going to get a whole lot better.

Project Snapshot

Let us take a glance at some of the project details in a snapshot.

The developer of the Purvanchal expressway project is the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority
The Purvanchal expressway length is 340.824 km
It will have 6 lanes which can be expanded to 8 should there be any future requirement
The inauguration date was November 2021
The total expressway cost will be Rs. 22,494 crores
The expressway starts from the Chand Saray Village in the Lucknow district and continues up to Haydaria Village in the Ghazipur district

The Route Map For The Expressway

This expressway is going to run through as many as nine different districts of UP. They are as follows.

Lucknow
Barabanki
Amethi
Sultanpur
Ayodhya
Ambedkar Nagar
Azamgarh
Mau
Ghazipur

This expressway runs all the way from the Gosaiganj area in the Lucknow district to the Haydari village in Ghazipur. Not only this, there is a separate road present which further links this expressway to the Varanasi Azamgarh highway as well. It also has links with the Gorakhpur link expressway at the Salarpur village in the Azamgarh district. This happens to be a huge route with a net length spanning 340.8 km

Given all the different highways and expressways that are being developed, Lucknow will enjoy massive connectivity as it will have a direct connection to different areas like Patna, Arrah, Buxar, and more.

If you are looking to make a road run from Delhi to UP, you will have to use different expressways. You need to make use of the Noida greater Noida expressway, Yamuna expressway, the Agra Lucknow expressway and then subsequently the Purvanchal expressway. This helps complete the full connectivity.

The History Of The Project

Under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, the Purvanchal expressway was launched back in March 2015. It was called the Lucknow Azamgarh Balia expressway at that time.

Later in the month of October 2015, under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, it was renamed as Purvanchal expressway project. The government wanted to bring the right reforms to the state and it is with infrastructural developments like these that the different districts too could witness major developments. This project is mainly going to focus on bringing development in the eastern leg of U.P.

The Key Features Of The Purvanchal Expressway Project

The expressway is a very prestigious project and there are plenty of salient details that you need to bear in mind. Here are some of the standout points you need to keep an eye on.

The expressway comes with an airstrip that can be used for emergency landing should such a need arise. The airstrip is 3.2 kilometres long and is located at the Adhikari Karat village near Kure Bhar in the Sultanpur district
Right now, until a new construction comes up, it is the longest expressway in India.
There are as many as 7 railways over bridges and 22 flyovers that are a part of the expressway
There are two rest stops with the right facilities at every 100 kilometres along the stretch of this expressway. These stops come with several facilities including but not limited to petrol pumps, drinking water, toilets, garage, and more.
With the help of this expressway, the travel time from Lucknow to Ghazipur will be significantly reduced. Earlier, it used to take close to 15 hours and the time has now come down to 10 hours.
This project is undertaken under the care and guidance of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority. Along with this, the National Highway Authority of India is also going to overview the whole management

The Project Timelines

Here are the details of the project timelines and this is a snapshot of some of the important milestones that this project has.

On May 2015, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announced the start of this expressway. It was titled Lucknow Azamgarh Ballia expressway at that time
In November 2015, it was renamed to Purvanchal Expressway
In December 2016, the foundation stone got laid by the former chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav
In May 2017, fresh tenders were issued for the sake of land acquisition by Yogi
In September 217, 60 percent of land acquirement was completed
By April 2018, 90% of the land requirement work was done away with.
In July 2018, the foundation stone was then laid by PM Narendra Modi
The construction work kickstarted in October 2018
In June 2019, 10% of the construction work got completed
By August 2020, 52% of the world got done
July 2021 marked 95% completion of the construction work
In September 2021, 97% of the work got done
In November 2021, the Purvanchal expressway was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and it was opened for public use

So, one can see how there were no stalls in the construction of this project and things kept on sailing smoothly and the expressway took a smooth progress route. It is likely that it is the smooth execution of projects like these that aid in better and smoother operation and also the overall development of different sectors.

The Importance Of The Expressway Route

Owing to this expressway, economic development has been drastically boosted. It has also ensured lesser travel time and therefore it offers much-improved connectivity with the capital city. Here are some of the salient points that can be categorized as benefits of the expressway and signify its importance.

Cutting down on travel time

The expressway has cut down the overall travel time in a significant manner. The travel time from UP to Delhi has seen a significant cut owing to such new roadway development

Employment opportunities

The overall productivity has improved and several employment opportunities were created. It comes as no surprise that whenever a roadway or an expressway project is undertaken, it ends up employing tons of people. This also boosts a lot of different businesses and industries at the same time.

Easier transportation methods

The expressway helps in offering the right and easy mode of transportation. With the connection to other expressways, the overall ease of movement from one state to another has improved considerably.

Better connectivity

Thanks to projects like these, the expressway has facilitated better connectivity. A lot of major cities including the likes of Patna, Delhi, and Lucknow now enjoy way better connectivity and movement from one place to other has become easier.

Improved amenities

Along the expressway route, a lot of other proposed developments are also going to take place. These include educational and medical institutions. This will therefore bring in better and improved quality of life for people too.

Better real estate projects

The industrial development authority has announced that industrial hubs should also be developed along the length of the highway. The overall economic development in the area is going to enjoy a better boost. This will kickstart a flurry of real estate projects that is likely to generate a good revenue source for a lot of people. It also helps in improving the quality of life as well.

The Latest News And Updates

Here are some of the latest news and updates on the Purvanchal Expressway.

The toll money

Ever since the expressway was inaugurated, it faced several issues, especially with regard to investment. The toll authorities namely Prakash Asphalting’s and Toll Highways (India) Ltd ended the contract as they could only collect a meagre 45% of the toll money. Owing to the loss they were suffering, the toll authorities decided to end their contract as they did not see the project to be making any profit anytime soon.

Further, by May, it was seen that the expressway managed to collect only Rs. 7.5 core as the toll money while they had their target set at Rs. 17 crores. So, this too proved to be a major setback. Currently, a discussion is underway regarding the plan to reduce the toll prices for heavy vehicles. The current prices are as much as 20 percent more than what is charged on national highways. This may be one of the reasons why a lot of vehicles choose not to take this expressway route.

The connectivity with Nizamabad

Nizamabad is a tehsil in the Azamgarh district. This tehsil has managed to gain popularity owing to the black clay pottery. The then-union minister checked out the details of black clay products and he was really fascinated and impressed by their handicraft. He assured them that he would try his best to solve their problems. This is exactly when the people of that town proposed that the Purvanchal expressway be connected to Nizamabad. He also told them about the central and state government welfare schemes. It is likely that should things go as per plan, things may actually improve for these people. It might just be the start of a new future for them.

The Controversies

There have been a few controversies that were a part of this expressway. The net expenses for this expressway were upwards of Rs. 22000 crores. Despite putting in so much money, the expressway was in the news as the road caved very deep owing to the onslaught of heavy rains. This is not all as there were several accidents that were reported on different parts of the expressway. Massive car damages occurred and it also led to injuries to the passengers. Along with this, there were also reports regarding the irregularities that were present during construction.

FAQ

When was the Purvanchal expressway inaugurated?

This expressway was inaugurated by none other than the prime minister himself. It was inaugurated on November 16th 2021. A good inauguration event was held in Sultanpur.

Is the Purvanchal expressway open to the public?

Yes, the project was completed and it was opened for public use on 16th November 2021

Do you still need to pay a toll on the expressway?

The expressway is still not toll-free. There are as many as six different toll plazas stretched all along the route. Initially, the commuters were not required to pay any toll but it is likely that tolls will be charged in the near future or else it will be hard to recover the net cost of development.

What was the budget for the Purvanchal expressway?

The net budget for this expressway is higher at Rs. 22,000 crores.

Were there any controversies during the making of this expressway?

Yes, there were quite a few controversies when this expressway was being made. There were a lot of delays that happened. At the same time, a lot of accidents happened along the route owing to the bad condition of the roads.

What is the length of the expressway?

The Purvanchal expressway is 340.8 km long. It starts from Chandrasarai village in Lucknow and ends at Haydaria village. It is the longest expressway in the whole of UP.

Does it offer better connectivity from UP to Delhi?

Yes, owing to the presence of different highways, the road connectivity from UP to all other states has improved drastically. It has cut down the travelling time significantly and made it easier to commute from one place to the other.