Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday after landing on its airstrip in a C-130 Hercules plane.
Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the prime minister at the highway airstrip.
The 3.2-km airstrip has been constructed on the highway to facilitate emergency landing of fighter aircraft.
In July 2018, Modi laid the foundation of the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway in Azamgarh. Addressing a public gathering after the inauguration, Modi said: "When I laid the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway three years back, I had never thought that I will land here on an aircraft one day.”
The prime minister will also witness an airshow by the Indian Air Force. Sukhoi, Mirage, Rafale, and AN-32 aircraft will be participating in the air show. According to the district administration, the fighter aircraft will perform touch-and-go operation on the expressway.
Constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 22,500 crore, the Purvanchal Expressway is expected to give a boost to the economic development of eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, especially the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur, the statement said.
-with PTI inputs