Purvanchal Expressway

The Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ghazipur Expressway now renamed as Purvanchal Expressway is an under construction 6-lane, divided and access-controlled highway, in India's Uttar Pradesh state. The expressway will connect the historic towns of Ghazipur and Azamgarh with the state capital, Lucknow.^[1] It is to be developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development and Authority.

The project will be executed^[2] by Gayatri Projects, Apco Infratech, GR Infra, PNC Infratech and Oriental Structural Engineering. The total project has been divided in 8 packages, with Gayatri Projects, GR Infra and PNC Infratech allotted 2 packages each and Apco and Oriental being awarded 1 package each. The easy bidding process has also resulted in 10% cost reduction for the project.

It will be 343 km long expressway and will connect Lucknow to Ballia by passing through Barabanki, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur districts and will terminate at Haidaria in Ghazipur.^[3] The expressway is to be linked with Varanasi through a separate link road.^[4]

History

The 353-km project was conceptualized by the previous Samajwadi Party government in early 2015 as 'Samajwadi Purvanchal Expressway'. After coming to power in March 2017, the BJP government dropped the word 'Samajwadi' from its name and retained the project which was to pass through Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau to reach Ballia. The total cost of the project was initially proposed as Rs. 15,000 crores but the new alignment and packages has increased the proposed costs to Rs 23,000 crore.

Project timeline

• May 2015: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announces the Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia expressway. The proposed expressway was originally conceptualized by the Mayawati government in 2008 as the Ganga Expressway.
• Oct 2015: UP Government has finalized the alignment out of three proposed alignment for expressway. Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be prepared in three months.^[5]
• Nov 2015: The Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia expressway is renamed as Purvanchal Expressway.^[6]
• Feb 2016: State Government allocated 1500 Crores Rupees for the expressway in the budget.^[7]
• Dec 2016: Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh lays foundation stone for the project ^[8]
• May 2017: About 40% of required land is already acquired during Akhilesh Yadav's Govt, claims Samajwadi Party leader Ram Govind Chaudhary who is leader of opposition in UP Legislative Assembly.^[9]
• May 2017: Yogi Adityanath Government cancels tenders issues by previous government stating that currently only 40.17% of needed land is acquired and will issue fresh tender only when at least 80% of land will be acquired.^[10]
• May 2017: UP Government orders faster land acquisition.^[11]
• Jun 2017: The state government may take a loan of Rs 3,500 crore for the construction of Purvanchal Expressway, the biggest in the country, from Lucknow to Ballia, which was recently approved by the UP cabinet with link roads to Ayodhya and Varanasi.^[12]
• Sep 2017: 60% land acquired at cost of 4,500 crore Rupees. Total land acquisition may cost up to 6,500 crore Rupees. NITI Aayog says, Central Government may bear cost of road construction if state government bears the land acquisition cost^[13]
• Nov 2017: 77% land acquisition done, work to start by March 2018 and will take 30 months to complete the project.^[14][15]
• Jan 2018: 85% land acquisition done, foundation stone to be laid in March 2018.^[16]
• Apr 2018: 91% land acquired. Request For Proposal (RFP) document floated.^[17]
• July 2018: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on at Azamgarh.^[18][19]
• Jul 2018: Tender awarded for road construction to five firms for eight packages.^[20]
• Oct 2018. Work started. ^[21]

See also

• Agra Lucknow Expressway
• Bundelkhand Expressway
• Expressways in India

References