Purvanchal Expressway

Purvanchal Expressway is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It connects Lucknow (Chand Saray village) with Ghazipur (Haydaria village). As of November 2021, the Purvanchal Expressway is the longest expressway of India.

What are the key features of Purvanchal Expressway?

• The Expressway is 340.8 km long. It is an access – controlled expressway.
• It was developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
• The total project value of the expressway is Rs 22,494 crores.

What are the benefits of Purvanchal Expressway?

• The Purvanchal Expressway has a 3.2 km long airstrip near Kurebhar in Sultanpur district. This can be used for emergency landing of aircrafts.
• The expressway will highly benefit the UP Defence Industrial Corridor. The Defence Corridor project is also implemented by UPEIDA.

Why is Purvanchal Expressway called “Access Controlled Expressway”?

The Access – Controlled Expressway is designed for high-speed vehicular traffic. It provides an unhindered flow of traffic with no intersections or traffic signals. The entrances and exits to the highway are provided through slip ways. Also, these expressways hold a median strip or traffic barrier or grass. The access – controlled expressway was AUTOSTRADA. It was first opened in Italy. The Purvanchal Expressway has all the above features and is thus called Access Controlled Expressway.

Why is the Expressway called Purvanchal Expressway?

The expressway is located in a geographic subregion of Uttar Pradesh called Purvanchal. Purvanchal comprises of eastern end of Uttar Pradesh. People in the region have been demanding for a separate statehood for Purvanchal with Gorakhpur or Varanasi as its capital.