One of India’s longest expressway to open next week. No toll fee initially 

This 340.8 km long 6-lane expressway is the longest expressway in Uttar Pradesh. 

Purvanchal Expressway will connect Chand Saray village near Gosainganj in Lucknow district with Haydaria village on NH-31 in Ghazipur district. It is being developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). 

Purvanchal Expressway will pass through 9 districts of Uttar Pradesh i.e. (from west to east) Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.

Foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway was laid on 14 July 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Purvanchal expressway is to be linked with Varanasi–Azamgarh highway through a separate link road. UPEIDA is also constructing the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, which will connect Jaitpur village in Gorakhpur district with Purvanchal Expressway at Salarpur village in Azamgarh district. Upon the completion of 17 km long, 4-lane wide Buxar–Ghazipur Elevated Road (Bharauli in Buxar to Haydaria in Ghazipur), Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh will be directly connected to Arrah and Patna in Bihar by Purvanchal Expressway and NH-922.

Purvanchal Expressway will also be used as an emergency runway for Indian Air Force aircrafts, just like the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. It will allow fighter jets of the Indian Air Force to use it as an airstrip for emergency situations.

Commuters using the Purvanchal Expressway will not be required to pay any toll fee initially. Government expects it will get ₹202 crore annually as toll through this expressway. The toll rates per km and toll tax will be levied on movement from toll plazas at both ends. 

Purvanchal Expressway has a total project value of ₹22,494 crore, including the land acquisition cost. 

It is important to know that the speed limit for vehicles has been set at100 km per hour.