LUCKNOW, July 13 -- Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway on Monday during his day-long visit to Uttar Pradesh, where he will also review the state's national highway projects with chief minister Yogi Adityanath and dedicate several road infrastructure projects to the nation, officials said. The fully access-controlled expressway, which will be opened to traffic from July 14, is expected to cut travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur from nearly three hours during peak traffic to about 45 minutes. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath are also scheduled to attend the inaugural ceremony. According to officials, Gadkari will begin his engagements with a high-level review meeting at the chief minister's official residence on Kalidas Marg from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm. The meeting, to be attended by senior officials from the ministry of road transport and highways, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Uttar Pradesh government, will review the progress of ongoing and proposed national highway projects. Discussions are expected to focus on construction progress, land acquisition, project execution and resolution of implementation bottlenecks. The minister will then travel to Nevahra Padri in Unnao district to inaugurate the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway (NH-6). Developed as a fully access-controlled corridor, the expressway is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Uttar Pradesh's political and industrial hubs. The expressway will also be India's first to use a barrier-free toll collection system. FASTag-equipped vehicles will pass through without stopping as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and FASTag readers identify vehicles and process toll payments electronically. The corridor has also been fitted with AI-enabled surveillance cameras capable of detecting accidents and instantly alerting the NHAI control centre, enabling a quicker emergency response. While offering faster travel, the expressway will carry a higher toll. Cars are expected to pay around Rs.275 for a one-way trip, compared with approximately Rs.95 on the existing route. As per access-controlled highway norms, two-wheelers will not be allowed on the expressway. Gadkari's final engagement will be a public function at the Sainik School Ground in Sarojininagar from 4.30 pm, where he will inaugurate and dedicate multiple national highway projects. The event will be attended by senior state ministers, public representatives and NHAI officials. The expressway begins at Shaheed Path in Lucknow and ends near Azad Chauraha in Kanpur. It comprises an 18-km elevated stretch through urban areas and a 45-km greenfield alignment passing through Unnao district. As a fully access-controlled corridor, it will be open only to four-wheelers and larger vehicles, with two- and three-wheelers prohibited to ensure uninterrupted, high-speed traffic flow. Officials say the project is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the proposed SCR by improving connectivity among Lucknow, Kanpur and Unnao. Project director Nakul Verma said the expressway has been equipped with an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) incorporating AI-enabled surveillance cameras, automatic incident detection, emergency communication facilities and real-time traffic monitoring to enhance road safety and improve traffic management....