Lucknow: The much-anticipated Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Expressway is set to transform travel between the two major cities of Uttar Pradesh. According to the latest updates, the expressway is expected to be operational by June 2025. Once open, it will greatly cut down the travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur to just 35-45 minutes, saving commuters nearly one and a half hours, as the journey currently takes up to three hours.
The expressway will also enhance connectivity to key transport hubs, including Lucknow airport, making travel more convenient. Apart from that, its integration with the Lucknow-Agra Expressway will shorten the distance to Delhi. As per Project Director Saurabh Chaurasia, 80 per cent of the construction work has been completed, reported Jagran.
Expressway route and cost
The 8-lane expressway will pass through several locations, including Banthra, Bani, Datouli Kantha, Taura, Nyaurana, Amarsas and Rawal Marg. It will start from Shaheed Path in Lucknow and extend to Nawabganj in Kanpur. Furthermore, the expressway will connect to the Lucknow Ring Road, improving regional accessibility. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 4,700 crore.
In October 2024, an official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said that construction was progressing rapidly. He also highlighted the use of 3D automatic machine-guided (AMG) technology for road construction, an innovation being implemented in India for the first time. The technology is helping accumulate carbon credits by optimising fuel consumption. The road is expected to be ready for public use by May or June 2025.
Advanced tech in construction
Meanwhile, NHAI has incorporated advanced Automated & Intelligent Machines in the construction process, including GPS-aided motor graders, intelligent compactors, and stringless pavers, ensuring precision and efficiency in the expressway’s development. “Envisaged advantages of AIMC are savings in time of construction without compromising quality of construction, increased productivity, real time digital documentation & monitoring and better control on quality parameters such as smooth levelled surface, adequately & uniformly compacted surface, etc,” added the statement from NHAI.
