Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway: Uttar Pradesh got a fresh road boost on Monday as the state saw the launch and foundation work of three National Highway projects worth more than Rs 4,850 crore in Lucknow. The big event was held at the Sainik School campus.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined the programme together. The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway was also opened as part of this push, and recent reports say it is expected to cut travel time between the two cities to about one hour.
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The new works are meant to make travel faster and smoother in and around Lucknow. Along with the expressway, the government also laid the foundation stones for a four-lane road from the Hardoi-Lucknow border to the Lucknow Ring Road and for a new flyover at Engineering College Chauraha. The overall plan is to improve city movement and connect key routes better.
What did the Leaders say at the Event?
Rajnath Singh said that an elevated road and a metro corridor over Shaheed Path have now been approved. He also said the Lucknow-Sitapur road will be widened to six lanes and service roads will come up along Kisan Path. He added that more industries are expected to come near Lucknow in the coming months, which should help the state economy grow.
Nitin Gadkari said Uttar Pradesh’s growth is linked with the growth of the whole country. He also said that road projects worth Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000 crore are being planned for the state and that he has already discussed them with the Chief Minister. Gadkari added that the Detailed Project Report for the Shaheed Path elevated road and metro corridor should be ready by December 2026.
Faster Travel
Gadkari also gave clear travel-time figures. He said that once the Lucknow-Sitapur road work is completed, the journey time between the two cities will come down from nearly two and a half hours to about 50 minutes.
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He said the Lucknow-Kanpur Motorway has already reduced the Unnao to Sarojini Nagar trip to 22 minutes, and the greenfield expressway should help people reach Kanpur in around 25 minutes.
More Projects Ahead
He also named several other highway works that are moving ahead in Uttar Pradesh. These include the Lucknow-Gonda-Padrauna bypass, Dadri-Lal Kuan highway, Barabanki-Bahraich road, Agra-Gwalior highway, Ghazipur-Manjhia road, Gorakhpur-Shamli highway and Gorakhpur-Siliguri highway. Together, these projects show how quickly the state’s road network is expanding.
Yogi Adityanath praised Gadkari’s style of work and said the word “no” does not exist in the minister’s dictionary. He also said that about 10 years ago Uttar Pradesh faced an identity problem, but now the state is known across the country for better air links, a stronger highway network and metro growth. He said the Lucknow-Kanpur greenfield motorway will play a major role in building the Greenfield State Capital Region.
