Halt-free commute plan for Lucknow: New traffic corridors proposed in CMP
The CMP, prepared for the state capital by a private agency on behalf of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), focuses on scientific, four-step travel demand modelling to identify and plan high-demand routes. The corridors have been proposed based on per-hour passenger load on arterial and connecting routes such as Charbagh-Kali Paschim via Bangla Bazaar and Indira Nagar-Ekana Stadium via Patrakarpuram.
Lucknowites may soon experience smoother, halt-free commutes with the city’s new Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) proposing multiple dedicated traffic corridors aimed at easing congestion, particularly for office-goers and school vans.
The CMP, prepared for the state capital by a private agency on behalf of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), focuses on scientific, four-step travel demand modelling to identify and plan high-demand routes. The corridors have been proposed based on per-hour passenger load on arterial and connecting routes such as Charbagh-Kali Paschim via Bangla Bazaar and Indira Nagar-Ekana Stadium via Patrakarpuram. Once approved by the divisional commissioner, the proposal will be forwarded to the state government for final clearance and fund allocation, officials aware of the development said.
According to LMC officials, the CMP has been designed using a scientific four-step travel demand modelling approach to predict future traffic movement and assess transport needs. It proposes a phase-wise expansion of public transport up to 2044, aiming to ensure smoother mobility, better road safety, and easier access to key parts of the city.
LMC executive engineer (traffic) and project in-charge Muzafar Nazmi said the upcoming corridors are aimed at significantly reducing commute time. Consultations have already been held with relevant departments and stakeholders to finalise the proposed routes, he added.
Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava said that during a presentation on October 13, key suggestions were made in the presence of key officials, traders’ associations and others. ““We are now incorporating those recommendations into the final plan,” he added.
The draft CMP has been prepared by the private agency Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC), which won the state government tender to develop the plan. The agency conducted extensive primary and secondary surveys involving multiple departments, including the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD), Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), UP Metro, Indian Railways, and the Smart City Mission.
In the first phase covering the period from 2024 to 2034, four major transport corridors have been proposed. The first corridor will connect Charbagh to Kalli Paschim via Bangla Bazaar, Telibagh Crossing, Vrindavan Yojana, and SGPGI with a length of around 13.33 km.
The second corridor will run from Rajajipuram to IIM via Mehdiganj, Chowk, Kapoorthala, Aliganj, and Jankipuram with a length of around 21.35 km. The third will connect Indira Nagar to Ekana Stadium through Patrakarpuram, Husadiya, Vardan Khand, and Malesemau with around 8.71 km, while the fourth will run from Indira Nagar to Anora Kalan (Outer Ring Road) via Awadh Bus Stand, Matiyari Crossing, and Uttardhauna with a length of around 9.19 km.
The second phase of the plan, covering 2034 to 2044, will further expand connectivity to the city’s growing areas. It includes a corridor from Ekana Stadium to CCS Airport via CG City, Sushant Golf City, and Vrindavan centre with a length of around 19.46 km, along with another from Chowk to Gomti Nagar (Mithaiwala Junction) through Lucknow City Railway Station, Qaiserbagh, Burlington, and Mall Avenue with around 13.39 km.
Other proposed routes include Kali Paschim to Mohanlalganj, Dubagga to Telibagh via Budheshwar, Awadh Hospital, and Aashiyana, Sachivalaya to Aliganj via Sikandarbagh, Mahanagar, and Kapoorthala, and IIM to Kalli Paschim via Dubagga and Outer Ring Road.
LMC officials said the new CMP would replace the earlier plan introduced in 2013, which no longer meets the city’s growing traffic and urban needs.
“Earlier, several measures like free left turns, barricades, and AI-based traffic control were implemented to ease congestion, but with Lucknow’s rapid expansion, a comprehensive plan has become necessary,” said an LMC official.