Work On 62 km Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway Set To Commence As PNC Infratech Achieves Financial Closure

Construction of Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway is set to begin as the civil construction company PNC Infratech Ltd. has achieved financial closure for the project.

The infrastructure major submitted duly executed financing documents for two Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) Projects namely Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway package I and II, to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on 7 October 2022.

Both these projects are owned by PNC Infratech’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Kanpur Lucknow Expressway Pvt. Ltd. and Awadh Expressway Pvt. Ltd.

PNC Infratech has secured a debt of Rs 1,556.60 crore from Axis Bank as part of the financial closure for the project.

To be constructed at an overall cost of over Rs 4,000 crore, the Lucknow–Kanpur Expressway will be an 62.74 km long, six-lane (expandable to eight) access controlled expressway in Uttar Pradesh.

The expressway will connect Kanpur and Lucknow and the alignment will be parallel to NH-27 which connects Kanpur and Lucknow with a distance of about 8.5 km between existing and proposed parallel roads.

The expressway will start near Shaheed Path in South Lucknow connecting Bani, Kantha, Amarsas and terminate at Azad Marg Chauraha near Kanpur’s Ganga Bridge.

NHAI invited tenders for the construction of both the packages under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) mode in September 2021.

While Package 1 is estimated to cost Rs 1,675.18 crore and Package 2 was valued at Rs 1,724.67 crore, both come with a 2.5 year deadline.

Package 1 of the expressway will be a six lane access-controlled highway connecting Shaheed Path in Lucknow with Azad Chauraha near Kanpur’s Ganga Bridge. It will run parallel to NH27 and consist of a 3.375 km elevated portion between Amausi and Bani

Package 2 of the project is a greenfield alignment parallel to the existing NH27. It will connect town of Bani with Azad Marg Chauraha near Kanpur’s Ganga Bridge.

According to an estimate, around 25,000 vehicles (PCUs) will use this stretch and the new road would help reduce the congestion on the existing NH connecting the two cities in UP.

PNC Infratech had bagged Package I and Package II - for the construction of the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway in February 2022. The combined bid project cost for two HAM projects was at Rs 2,926 crore.

The project has a completion deadline of December 2025. The concessionaire will have to maintain the project for 17.5 years.

With the completion of the expressway, the travel time from Lucknow to Kanpur will be reduced from 2 hours to 50 minutes.