The Purvanchal Expressway is set to witness a temporary closure on Thursday, affecting traffic movement from 11 AM to 3 PM, due to essential stringing work on power transmission lines. The Additional Chief Executive Officer of UP Expressway Development Authority, in a statement to the Indian Express, specified that the stringing work pertains to the overhead 132 KV Kadipur-Goshaisinghpur transmission line. The focus will be on the expressway stretch at Bani village in Sultanpur district.
The decision to close the expressway during these hours on December 28 is a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of commuters. This closure is not unprecedented, as the Purvanchal Expressway underwent a temporary shutdown in June this year. The closure, lasting until June 25, was initiated for maintenance work at the Indian Air Force airstrip in Jaisinghpur tehsil of the district. Circle Officer Jaisinghpur, Prashant Singh, confirmed the closure of a six-kilometer stretch of the expressway in the district on June 11 for maintenance activities.
Security Officer OP Singh of Purvanchal Expressway provided details, mentioning that the link road constructed adjacent to the expressway will be utilized for vehicular movement during the stipulated closure hours. It's noteworthy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 341-kilometer-long Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur on November 16, 2021.
For general reference, the Purvanchal Expressway begins from Chandsarai village on the outskirts of Lucknow and concludes at Hadairia village on NH-31 in Ghazipur district. En route, it passes through nine districts, including Ayodhya, Amethi, and Azamgarh. The expressway establishes a crucial link, connecting Chand Saray village near Gosainganj in Lucknow district with Haydaria village on NH-31 in Ghazipur district.
Developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), the Purvanchal Expressway features a 3.2 km airstrip at Akhalkiri Karwat village near Kurebhar in Sultanpur district, designed for emergency aircraft landings. Construction work on the expressway commenced on October 10, 2018, under UPEIDA's purview, culminating in its inauguration and public opening on November 16, 2021.