LUCKNOW: The 341-km long 6-lane expressway project — Purvanchal Expressway — is ready for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 16. The expressway will connect the state capital Lucknow with Ghazipur in eastern UP.
With the inauguration, Indian Air Force fighter (IAF) aircraft will showcase their prowess through an air show on the airstrip built on the expressway. A landing rehearsal by a Rafale fighter has been scheduled on the expressway on November 14 and 15.
A 3.2 km-long runway has been built near Kurebhar village in Sultanpur along the Purvanchal Expressway. Confirming this, Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) chairman Avnish Awasthi said that the process of preparing the airstrip had been completed. About 30 fighters would fly from the five major airbases for landing on the expressway airstrip, he said.
On November 16, Sukhoi-30 MKI and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft will land on the Expressway in the presence of PM Modi.
The final touches are being given to the preparations to ensure that the fighters do not face any obstacle in landing and taking off during the touch and go ops on the D-day. It has also been inspected many times by senior IAF officials.
Borders of 15 metres each have been made on both sides of the strip. Vehicles coming on the runway for cleaning have also been completely banned, while the painting work of the indicator on the airstrip has been completed. And a staircase has been made to come down from the airstrip to the platform below.
Service lanes are being built on both sides of the strip. After getting the green signal from the PMO for the inauguration of the expressway, the administration along with UPEDA has been busy in final preparations. Purvanchal Expressway is 341 km in length between Ghazipur and Lucknow, but CM Yogi Adityanath has given instructions to extend it to Ballia making it 354 km long.