The morning of November 16, 2021 at Karwal Kheri in Sultanpur district was unlike any expressway inauguration India had seen before. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not arrive by road or helicopter. He arrived in a C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft — landing on the 3.2-kilometre emergency airstrip built into the Purvanchal Expressway itself. He stepped off onto the tarmac of a road that was about to be opened to the public, inspected the expressway, addressed thousands gathered at the venue, and then watched as the Indian Air Force conducted a spectacular air show. Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters, Mirage 2000s, Jaguars, MiG fighters, Rafales, and AN-32 transport aircraft performed touch-and-go operations on the same strip where Modi had just landed — 30 fighter planes touching the Purvanchal Expressway in what remains the most visually dramatic expressway inauguration event in India’s infrastructure history.
Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Purvanchal Expressway three years earlier, on July 14, 2018, at Azamgarh. Speaking at the November 2021 inauguration, he said with evident surprise: “When I laid the foundation stone three years ago, I had never thought I would land here on an aircraft one day.” The remark captures the specific character of this inauguration — the expressway was not just inaugurated, it was field-certified by the IAF as an emergency military landing strip at the very moment of its public debut.
The Purvanchal Expressway connects Lucknow to Ghazipur, passing through nine districts of eastern UP — Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur. Built at a cost of ₹22,500 crore in approximately three years by UPEIDA, its 341 kilometres reduce Lucknow-Ghazipur travel from 12 hours to 3 hours. It is UP’s seventh operational expressway and was at the time of inauguration the longest operational expressway in India, surpassing the 302-kilometre Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
| Detail | Information |
| Name | Purvanchal Expressway |
| Inaugurated By | PM Narendra Modi — November 16, 2021 |
| Foundation Stone | July 14, 2018 (PM Modi, at Azamgarh) |
| Inauguration Venue | Karwal Kheri, Sultanpur District |
| Maintained By | UPEIDA (Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority) |
| Length | 340.8 km |
| Lanes | 6-lane (expandable to 8) |
| West End | Chand Saray village, Lucknow District (NH-731) |
| East End | Haydaria village, NH-31, Ghazipur District |
| Construction Period | October 10, 2018 – November 2021 (approx. 3 years) |
| Project Cost | ₹22,500 crore |
| Districts | Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, Ghazipur |
| Travel Time | Lucknow–Ghazipur: 12 hours → 3 hours |
| Emergency Airstrip | 3.2 km — Karwal Kheri, Sultanpur — IAF-capable |
| IAF Aircraft Used | C-130J Hercules (Modi’s aircraft), Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, Rafale, AN-32 |
| IAF Touch-and-Go | 30 fighter aircraft performed touch-and-go operations at inauguration |
| Gorakhpur Link | Gorakhpur Link Expressway joins at Salarpur, Azamgarh (June 20, 2025) |
| Design Speed | 120 km/h |
Route and Location
The expressway begins at Chand Saray village in Lucknow district and runs eastward through the flat agricultural plains of Barabanki, Amethi, and Sultanpur. It passes through the Ayodhya zone — the sacred city of Ram Janmabhoomi where the Ram Mandir was consecrated in January 2024 — before continuing through Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, and Mau to terminate at Haydaria on NH-31 near the Bihar border in Ghazipur district.
Connectivity
At its Lucknow western end, the Purvanchal Expressway connects to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and through it to the Yamuna Expressway, creating a continuous Delhi-to-Ghazipur fast corridor. The Gorakhpur Link Expressway inaugurated June 20, 2025 meets the Purvanchal at Salarpur in Azamgarh — connecting Gorakhpur and reducing its Lucknow journey to 3.5 hours.
Nearby Areas
Ayodhya — with the Ram Mandir, Saryu River ghats, and the pilgrimage zone drawing millions annually — is directly accessible from the expressway’s mid-section. Azamgarh, the cultural and intellectual heartland of eastern UP — birthplace of prominent poets and scholars of the Awadhi and Bhojpuri literary traditions — has been transformed by its placement on the expressway corridor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. How did PM Modi inaugurate the Purvanchal Expressway?
He arrived in a C-130J Super Hercules military aircraft, landing on the expressway’s 3.2-km IAF airstrip at Karwal Kheri, Sultanpur — then watched 30 IAF fighter jets perform touch-and-go operations on the same strip.
Q2. When did PM Modi lay the foundation and inaugurate Purvanchal Expressway?
Foundation stone: July 14, 2018 at Azamgarh. Inauguration: November 16, 2021 at Karwal Kheri, Sultanpur.
Q3. Which districts does the Purvanchal Expressway pass through?
Nine — Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur.
Q4. What was the cost of the Purvanchal Expressway?
₹22,500 crore — built by UPEIDA in approximately 3 years.
Q5. How does Gorakhpur connect to the Purvanchal Expressway?
Via the Gorakhpur Link Expressway (91 km, inaugurated June 20, 2025) which joins the Purvanchal at Salarpur, Azamgarh.