- Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway Inaugurated, major Infrastructure push for Uttar Pradesh announced.
- UP to get Rs 50,000-60,000 Cr infrastructure projects.
- Shaheed Path elevated road, metro corridor approved.
Jagran correspondent, Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh received a major infrastructure boost on Monday as three National Highway projects worth Rs 4,850 crore, including the much-awaited Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, were inaugurated and launched at the Sainik School campus in Lucknow.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath jointly inaugurated the projects and laid the foundation stones for new works.
Along with the launch of the Lucknow-Kanpur Motorway, the foundation stone was laid for a four-lane road connecting the Hardoi-Lucknow border to the Lucknow Ring Road. A one-kilometre four-lane flyover at Engineering College Chauraha in Lucknow, to be built at a cost of Rs 541 crore, was also included in the projects.
Major Connectivity Plans for Lucknow
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that approval has been given for an elevated road and metro corridor over Shaheed Path, one of Lucknow’s busiest and most important routes.
He added that the Lucknow-Sitapur road would be expanded to six lanes, while service roads would also be developed along Kisan Path. Singh said that several industries are expected to come up around Lucknow in the coming months, further strengthening Uttar Pradesh’s economy.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that the development of Uttar Pradesh is closely linked with the progress of the country. He announced that infrastructure projects worth Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000 crore are planned for the state and that discussions on these projects have already taken place with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Gadkari further announced that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the elevated road and metro corridor over Shaheed Path would be prepared by December 2026, following which the foundation ceremony would also be held.
Once the Lucknow-Sitapur project is completed, travel time between the two cities will be reduced from nearly two and a half hours to just 50 minutes. Referring to the Lucknow-Kanpur Motorway, he said that the journey from Unnao to Sarojini Nagar has already been reduced to 22 minutes, and the greenfield expressway will enable travellers to reach Kanpur in around 25 minutes.
The minister also highlighted several other National Highway projects underway in Uttar Pradesh, including the Lucknow-Gonda-Padrauna bypass, Dadri-Lal Kuan highway, Barabanki-Bahraich route, Agra-Gwalior highway, Ghazipur-Manjhia route, Gorakhpur-Shamli highway, and Gorakhpur-Siliguri highway.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised Nitin Gadkari’s commitment to infrastructure development, saying that the word “no” does not exist in the minister’s dictionary.
He said that a decade ago, Uttar Pradesh faced an identity crisis, but today the state is recognised nationwide for its improved air connectivity, national highway network, and metro infrastructure.
The chief minister said that the greenfield Lucknow-Kanpur Motorway would play a significant role in the development of the Greenfield State Capital Region.