The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of a 117.7-km four-lane access-controlled greenfield highway between Kanpur and Kabrai (Mahoba district) in Uttar Pradesh at an estimated capital cost of ₹7,145.14 crore.
The project, to be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll model, forms a key segment of the Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor under the National Highways (Original) Programme. The project also includes the operation and maintenance of the existing Kanpur-Kabrai section of National Highway-34.
The corridor has been designed as a four-lane highway with structures capable of supporting future expansion to six lanes. It is expected to provide seamless, high-speed connectivity between Kanpur and Kabrai while strengthening onward links to Sagar, Bhopal and other parts of Madhya Pradesh. The project aims to create a modern economic corridor connecting the industrial and commercial centres of Uttar Pradesh with the mineral-rich, manufacturing and agricultural regions of Madhya Pradesh.
Designed for operating speeds of 80-100 kmph, the highway is expected to reduce travel time between Kanpur and Kabrai from the present 3.5 hours to about 1.5 hours, cutting journey time by nearly 58 per cent. The project is also expected to improve road safety, lower vehicle operating costs and facilitate faster movement of passenger and freight traffic.
The new corridor will strengthen connectivity with NH-34, NH-35, the Bundelkhand Expressway, the Kanpur Ring Road and state highways SH-46, SH-91, SH-10B and SH-42, enhancing integration with the regional highway network. It will also improve access to the Kabrai mining belt, enabling more efficient transportation of minerals, industrial goods, construction materials and agricultural produce while strengthening logistics efficiency and regional supply chains.
Aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the project will improve connectivity to 16 economic nodes, including the industrial areas of Unnao, Banther, Pankhi, Rania, Jainpur, Rooma, Chakeri, Sumerpur and Bhuragarh, besides the Trans Ganga Integrated Township, Growth Centre Jaipur, Kanpur Nagar Node and Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
The highway will also provide improved access to nine social and tourism destinations, including Fatehpur, Mahoba, Kanpur Zoological Park, Buddha Park, J.K. Temple and Garden, Radha Krishna Temple, Siddheshwar Mahadev Temple, Gopeshwar Mandir and the Mahoba tourist circuit.
In addition, the project will strengthen connectivity to 10 logistics hubs, including the railway stations at Kanpur, Ghatampur, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Kabrai, Bharwa Sumerpur and Banda, as well as Kanpur, Chakeri and Khajuraho airports.
The project is likely to improve logistics competitiveness, accelerate industrial development and support economic growth across Bundelkhand and adjoining regions of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while advancing the objectives of the PM GatiShakti initiative.
During construction, the highway is expected to generate approximately 11,188 direct and 13,985 indirect person-days of employment per lane per kilometre, translating into nearly 1.2 crore person-days of direct and indirect employment. The corridor is projected to carry an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of around 18,069 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) by the financial year 2028, reflecting its long-term significance for transportation, logistics and regional economic development.
