LUCKNOW, July 13 -- Uttar Pradesh is set to add a major milestone to its infrastructure network on Monday with the inauguration of the 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, a project expected to transform connectivity between the state's political and industrial capitals while serving as the backbone of the proposed State Capital Region (SCR).

The six-lane, access-controlled greenfield expressway, built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at an estimated cost of Rs.4,700 crore, is designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph and can be expanded to eight lanes in the future. Once operational, it will reduce travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur to 35-45 minutes from the current 90 minutes to nearly three hours, depending on traffic. ...