Uttar Pradesh is aiming to throw open the Purvanchal Expressway to the public from January 26 next year ahead of the deadline, Pioneer reported quoting Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and UP Expressway Development Authority CEO Awanish Awasthi.

The construction of the expressway is going ahead full steam despite COVID-19 pandemic.

Awasthi, who has been overseeing the state’s ambitious expressways projects, made a spot inspection to review the project progress. He said 64 percent of the physical work of the project had been completed and railway over bridge, flyovers and other structures would be completed within the scheduled time.

The 340-km-long expressway, whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, would connect Lucknow with Ghazipur, Awasthi said. The deadline for its completion was earlier set for April 2021, 30 months after the work began.

The CEO, who inspected the work in package-1 in Lucknow, said the work on rail over bridge would be completed by January next year and the toll plaza would be made operational by March 31. He said directions had been issued for expediting the import of material and equipment needed for the toll plaza.

Awasthi also inspected work on packages 2 and 3.

The expressway will commence from Chandsarai in Lucknow and end at village Haideriya in Ghazipur district.

Another major project, the Bundelkhand Expressway, whose foundation stone was also laid by the PM, will be made operational by the end of 2021, Awasthi said.

This expressway was important as it would service the upcoming defence corridor in UP and help investors get a fast road link to Delhi, he said.

Over 21% civil work in the 296-km Bundelkhand Expressway has already been finished.

Awasthi said that the construction work was much ahead of schedule. “I am happy to announce that we will complete the Bundelkhand expressway ahead of the schedule,” he said.