In a first of its kind, Indian Air Force fighter jets touched down on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway yesterday in Uttar Pradesh as part of the grand opening of India’s longest road.
The six-lane 302km-long expressway connecting the city of Taj Mahal with state capital Lucknow was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Four Sukhoi jets from Bareilly and four Mirage 2000s from Gwalior performed simulated landings on the expressway at Unnao, around 50km from Lucknow, as a host of IAF officers, politicians and commoners watched in awe.
A pet project of the chief minister, the expressway is constructed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
Speaking on the occasion, Akhilesh Yadav thanked the IAF for the grand show and said the expressway will be opened for public soon.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, the expressway will help cut travel time between Agra and Lucknow to just 3.5 hours, from the current seven.
The expressway is also expected to reduce the road travel time between Delhi and Lucknow to between 5 and 6 hours.
An official connected with the project said the expressway is fully equipped with advanced traffic management systems that take care of foggy conditions too.
The six lanes can be later expanded to eight.
Eight bridges on Ganges and Yamuna, four railway overbridges and provision of 3.3km runway for landing of IAF fighter planes are unique features of the project.
Agra citizens rejoiced on the opening of the expressway.
A few stretches of the mega project are still to be completed but the chief minister was keen to present a gift to his father, Mulayam, whose birthday was celebrated by party workers yesterday.
The formal opening ceremony was held at Khamboli, near RS Chauraha Bangarmau in Unnao district.
A few days ago the CEO of the project, Navneet Sehgal, was seriously injured along with a journalist and some staffers, when he visited the site. Sehgal is in Medanta Hospital.
The new expressway did not face many legal hassles like former chief minister Mayawati’s Yamuna Expressway project, as land was purchased from 30,000 farmers under amicable agreements and market terms, an official said.