The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of the 117.7 km Kanpur-Kabrai access-controlled greenfield highway in Uttar Pradesh.
The project will be developed as a four-lane access-controlled corridor, with structures designed for future six-laning, at a total capital cost of ₹7,145.14 crore.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Road Transport and HIghways, the highway will form a key segment of the Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor under the National Highways (O) Programme.
The project will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on BOT (Toll) mode. It will also include operation and maintenance of the existing Kanpur-Kabrai section of NH-34.
The corridor is planned to provide seamless and high-speed connectivity between Kanpur and Kabrai, while strengthening onward connectivity towards Sagar, Bhopal and other parts of Madhya Pradesh.
The ministry said the project will create a modern access-controlled economic corridor linking industrial and commercial centres of Uttar Pradesh with mineral-rich, manufacturing and agricultural regions of Madhya Pradesh.
The corridor has been designed for operating speeds of 80-100 kmph. Once completed, it is expected to reduce travel time between Kanpur and Kabrai from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours, a reduction of 58%.
The project is also expected to improve road safety, reduce vehicle operating costs and support more efficient movement of passenger and freight traffic.
The new corridor will provide strategic connectivity with NH-34, NH-35, the Bundelkhand Expressway, Kanpur Ring Road and state highways including SH-46, SH-91, SH-10B and SH-42.
The ministry said the highway will strengthen connectivity to the Kabrai mining belt, improving the movement of minerals, industrial goods, construction materials and agricultural produce.
The project has also been aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
According to the statement, it will improve connectivity to 16 economic nodes, including Unnao, Banther, Pankhi, Rania, Jainpur, Rooma, Chakeri, Sumerpur and Bhuragarh Industrial Areas.
Other economic nodes linked to the corridor include Trans Ganga Integrated Township, Growth Centre Jaipur, Kanpur Nagar Node and Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
The corridor will also improve access to nine social nodes, including Fatehpur, Mahoba, Kanpur Zoological Park, Buddha Park, J.K. Temple & Garden, Radha Krishna Temple, Siddheshwar Mahadev Temple, Gopeshwar Mandir and Mahoba Tourist Place.
The government said the project will also connect 10 logistics nodes, including Kanpur, Ghatampur, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Kabrai, Bharwa Sumerpur and Banda railway stations, along with Kanpur, Chakeri and Khajuraho airports.
The corridor map released with the statement shows the proposed alignment running from Kanpur towards Hamirpur and Kabrai, with links around the Bundelkhand Expressway, Ganga Expressway and adjoining highway network.
The ministry said the project will improve logistics competitiveness, support industrial development and contribute to economic growth across Bundelkhand and adjoining regions of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The highway is projected to carry an annual average daily traffic of about 18,069 passenger car units by FY 2028.
The project is also expected to generate employment during construction. According to the government, it will generate around 11,188 direct and 13,985 indirect person-days of employment per lane per km.
Overall, the proposed project is expected to generate close to 1.2 crore person-days of direct and indirect employment.
