Gadkari unveils ₹5 lakh crore road push for Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh got a fresh infrastructure commitment from the Centre on Monday. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway and announced road projects worth ₹50,000–60,000 crore for the state. He said road infrastructure worth nearly ₹5 lakh crore will be completed across Uttar Pradesh over the next two years.

The expressway cuts travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur to 35–45 minutes from the earlier 90 minutes. Gadkari also approved a 23-km elevated corridor in Lucknow, with a metro project to run above it, and additional highway expansion plans.

The minister did not provide a detailed breakdown of the ₹5 lakh crore figure or specify funding sources. The announcement comes ahead of state elections and follows similar infrastructure pushes in other states.