The demand for a service road along the Purvanchal Expressway has gained renewed momentum after local residents and elected representatives raised the issue. The Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has now sought a land-related report from the Ambedkar Nagar District Magistrate.
Two BJP MLAs from Sultanpur had earlier written to UPEIDA, raising the need for a service road. Following UPEIDA’s request for information on land availability and related details, the demand is now moving forward at the administrative level.
The Purvanchal Expressway has improved connectivity between several districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, residents of villages and local areas connected to the expressway continue to face difficulties accessing main roads at several locations. Since the expressway has designated entry and exit points, people from nearby rural areas often have to travel longer distances.
The service road is being sought to address this connectivity issue. Local residents have said that such a road would improve connections between villages around the expressway and local markets. Farmers, small traders, students and people who travel daily could also benefit directly.
The two BJP MLAs from Sultanpur had raised the demand through letters to UPEIDA. The representatives have said the benefits of the expressway should not remain limited to vehicles travelling long distances and that better connectivity should also be available to people living around it.
UPEIDA’s request to the Ambedkar Nagar District Magistrate for a land report is being viewed as a step in this direction. The report will provide information on how much land is available for the proposed service road, what type of land would be required and the status of land-related matters.
Land acquisition had earlier been carried out on a large scale for the Purvanchal Expressway. Documents related to land acquisition for the expressway are available on UPEIDA’s official website.
Strengthening local connectivity is another reason for the service road demand. The expressway’s main carriageway has been designed for high-speed vehicles, while the surrounding villages have different local transportation requirements. Improved local road infrastructure could reduce the need for local traffic to use the main expressway route.
The service road could also be important for farmers in rural areas. Better connectivity is required for taking tractors and agricultural vehicles out of fields, reaching local markets and travelling from villages to main roads. A service road could provide such vehicles with a safer and more convenient route.
Local residents have said that the construction of the expressway has increased development possibilities in the area, but that its full benefits will be available only when surrounding villages also have better road connectivity. A service road could improve connectivity between local markets, towns and larger routes.
With the Ambedkar Nagar District Magistrate being asked to provide the land report, the next stage will depend on the information submitted by the administration. The concerned administration will send UPEIDA details regarding land status and availability. The technical and financial aspects of the proposed road could then be assessed.
This is not the first demand for improved local connectivity along the Purvanchal Expressway. In Sultanpur, demands for an additional interchange and cuts on the expressway have also been raised earlier. According to a report, efforts were made by villagers and elected representatives for an interchange near Baldirai, and UPEIDA had carried out land measurement there.
The demand for a service road and interchange is linked to concerns among local residents that although road connectivity in the area has improved because of the expressway, the distance from designated entry and exit points creates difficulties for several villages. Connecting the local road network with the expressway is therefore being sought for regional development.
Work related to industrial development connected with the Purvanchal Expressway is also underway in Sultanpur district. The administration had made Gram Samaj land available for an industrial corridor at UPEIDA’s request, while the process of purchasing private land was also underway.
If the service road proposal moves forward, its impact would extend beyond transportation facilities. It could affect land use, commercial activity and local travel patterns in areas around the expressway. Improved road connectivity could help connect small markets and villages with larger routes.
However, construction of a service road would require assessment of several technical aspects, including land availability, road width, construction cost, drainage, bridges and culverts, and connectivity with existing roads. Where private land is required, land-related matters would also have to be resolved.
Following UPEIDA’s request for the land report, local residents are now awaiting the administration’s next action. If land availability is found to be suitable, the survey and technical process could move forward. Only after that would it become clear in what form the service road proposal could be implemented.
The stated objective of the elected representatives in repeatedly raising the demand is to provide better facilities to local residents through the expressway. Stronger regional road connectivity could reduce the distance people have to travel for their daily activities.
A service road could also reduce local traffic pressure on the main expressway route. Small vehicles, agricultural vehicles and local traffic emerging from villages could use the service road, while the expressway’s main carriageway could remain more suitable for high-speed long-distance traffic.
At present, the land report from the Ambedkar Nagar administration is the key next step. After receiving the report, UPEIDA will be able to determine the land situation for the proposed service road and decide what process should be followed next.
