The 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Expressway, designated National Expressway-6, opened for traffic and is designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph, cutting travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur from nearly three hours to 35–45 minutes. The six-lane corridor was inaugurated on Monday by the defence minister, the Union road transport and highways minister and the chief minister and was built at a cost of Rs 45 billion (bn). The route is expected to boost connectivity and underpin the proposed State Capital Region. The expressway uses Automated Machine Guidance Systems for precision construction and a Multi?Lane Free Flow tolling system that allows vehicles to pass without stopping as tolls are deducted via FASTag and Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Safety features include more than 80 high?definition CCTV cameras, 16 Video Incident Detection Systems, speed radars and a centralised traffic management system that can detect violations and issue e?challans automatically. More than 46,000 saplings have been planted along the alignment. Conceived in 2018 and completed after 1,648 days, the project had its foundation stone laid in March 2019 and was declared NE?6 in December 2020. Developed by PNC Infratech for the National Highways Authority of India, it was executed in two packages: an 18?km elevated corridor linking Amausi and Shaheed Path and a 45?km greenfield section traversing 11 villages in Lucknow and 31 villages in Unnao. Construction accelerated after land acquisition was finalised. At the inauguration the Union minister directed officials to prepare a Detailed Project Report for a 23?km three?tier corridor from Lucknow airport via Shaheed Path to Faizabad Road that would combine an elevated roadway with an electric mass rapid transit system and use Malaysian technology to permit 120?metre spans between piers instead of conventional 30 metres, reducing construction costs by nearly 30 per cent. Leaders also sought six?laning of the Lucknow?Sitapur road and improved service roads. Authorities said the expressway will serve commuters, strengthen the State Capital Region, improve logistics and attract industrial investment.