Jet, Set, Go. Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed on the swanky new Purvanchal Expressway in a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft on Tuesday to inaugurate the 340-kilometre road in Eastern UP.
The Lucknow to Ghazipur Purvanchal Expressway is the big showcase of the Yogi Adityanath government ahead of the UP elections early next year.
A 3.2-km stretch of the expressway near Sultanpur has been developed as airstrip for allowing fighter aircraft to make emergency landings.
PM Modi also addressed a public meeting after inaugurating the Purvanchal Expressway
"Those who have any doubt on capabilities of UP, on capabilities of people of UP should come to Sultanpur today to witness their capability. Such a modern expressway has now come up where it was just a piece of land 3-4 years back," the PM said.
He added: "When I laid the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway 3 years back, I had never thought that I will land here on an aircraft one day".
PM Narendra Modi also witnessed a grand air show organised by the Indian Air Force.
Along with C-130J Super Hercules, fighter aircraft including Rafale, Mirage, Jaguar, Sukhoi, Kiran Mk II and AN-32 participated in the 45-minute air show.
The Purvanchal Expressway, which has been constructed at an estimated cost of about ₹22,500 crore, will link the state capital of Lucknow with the eastern districts with links to major cities of Prayagraj and Varanasi.
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The expressway passes through nine districts including Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.
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