The 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway will be inaugurated today (July 13), adding another major transport corridor to Uttar Pradesh’s expanding expressway network. The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the state’s two cities while introducing India’s first barrier-less expressway.

The 63-km expressway will be inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Once operational, the six-lane access-controlled highway is expected to reduce travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur from around 2.5-3 hours to just 35-45 minutes, offering commuters and commercial traffic a faster alternative to the existing NH-27 corridor.

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One of the biggest highlights of the project is that it has been developed as India’s first barrier-less expressway. Instead of conventional toll booths that require vehicles to slow down or stop, the corridor has been designed to enable seamless movement, helping reduce congestion and improve travel efficiency.

The expressway connects Shaheed Path in Lucknow with Chakeri in Kanpur and has been notified as National Expressway-6. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 4,700 crore, the project is expected to serve as an important transport link for commuters, industries and freight operators moving between the two cities.

The corridor has been constructed using 3D Automated Machine Guidance (AMG) technology, while nearly 30% of its alignment is elevated to overcome urban constraints and improve traffic flow. Although the highway has been opened with six lanes, land has already been reserved for future expansion to eight lanes as traffic volumes increase.

The new expressway is expected to decongest the existing 94-km NH-27 corridor, which carries heavy daily traffic between Lucknow and Kanpur. By offering a shorter, access-controlled alternative, the project is expected to reduce fuel consumption, improve logistics efficiency and lower travel costs for commuters.

The corridor has also been planned as an important connector within Uttar Pradesh’s growing expressway network. It will provide links to three major expressways, improving regional connectivity and enhancing access to several districts across the state.

The expressway has a maximum permitted speed of 120 kmph. While five toll plazas have been developed along the route, toll collection at the connection with the Outer Ring Road has been exempted, with user charges currently applicable at four toll plazas based on vehicle category.

According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the project was first announced in 2019 and later designated as National Expressway-6 in December 2020. With its opening, the corridor is expected to become a key component of Uttar Pradesh’s expanding high-speed road network and support faster movement of passengers and goods between two of the state’s largest urban centres.