The Purvanchal Expressway is an under construction 6-lane access controlled expressway in India's Uttar Pradesh state. The expressway will connect Ghazipur town with the state capital, Lucknow. It is being developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority with a project cost of ₹22,494 crore. The project will be executed by Gayatri Projects, Apco Infratech, G R Infraprojects, PNC Infratech and Oriental Structural Engineers. The total project has been divided in 8 packages, with Gayatri Projects, G R Infraprojects and PNC Infratech allotted 2 packages each and Apco Infratech & Oriental Structural Engineers being awarded one package each. The easy bidding process has also resulted in 10% cost reduction for the project. It will be about 340.824 km long expressway and will connect Lucknow to Ghazipur by passing through 09 districts: Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and will terminate in Ghazipur. The expressway is to be linked with Varanasi-Gorakhpur highway through a separate link road.
History
The project is to pass through Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur to reach Ballia.
Oct 2015: UP Government has finalized the alignment out of three proposed alignment for expressway. Detailed Project Report to be prepared in three months.
Nov 2015: The Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia expressway is renamed as Purvanchal Expressway.
Feb 2016: State Government allocated ₹1500 crores Rupees for the expressway in the budget.
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.
May 2017: UP Government orders faster land acquisition.
Jun 2017: The state government may take a loan of ₹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.
Sep 2017: 60% land acquired at cost of ₹4,500 crore. Total land acquisition may cost up to ₹6,500 crore. NITI Aayog says the Central Government may bear cost of road construction if state government bears the land acquisition cost.
Nov 2017: 77% land acquisition done, work to start by March 2018 and will take 30 months to complete the project.
Jan 2018: 85% land acquisition done, foundation stone to be laid in March 2018.
Jul 2018: Tender awarded for road construction to five firms for eight packages.
Oct 2018: Construction Work started near Ghazipur.
Dec 2018:Uttar PradeshChief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the project progress in Amethi district, he says, expressway will be ready in 24 months.
Feb 2019: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath allocated ₹1194 crore in UP Budget 2019
June 2019: UP govt saves ₹620 crore in bidding process for Purvanchal Expressway and 10% of Civil work has been completed.
June 2019: "Purvanchal Expressway To Be Completed By August 2020, One year before the actual deadline of August 2021": UP Chief Secretary
July 2019: The Purvanchal Expressway, the longest in the country, will be extended to Ballia.
Aug 2019: Expressway to be opened by August 2020.
Sep 2019: 97% earth work done.
Oct 2019: 20% expressway completed. To be opened by end of year 2020.
Dec 2019: 40% expressway completed.
Feb 2020: Main carriageway of the expressway to be opened for public by end of 2020.
Feb 2020: Hon’ble UP CM, Shri Yogi Adityanath ji has announced on 10 February 2020 that the expressway will be opened by Diwali, 14 November 2020
April 2020: Work resumed after being on-hold for nearly a month due to COVID-19
