Lucknow’s growing traffic has made several major junctions a daily headache for commuters. Long queues, lengthy signal waits and railway crossings often slow down traffic on key routes, especially around Polytechnic Chauraha, Awadh Chauraha and the Cantonment area.

Now, a series of underpass projects is set to address these bottlenecks and improve traffic movement across the city.

Four key locations in the Cantonment area have been identified for underpasses, including Bhagat VC Dwar near Central Command, a junction on Bidhanू Rawat Marg and two other important connecting points around the Cantonment. The projects are aimed at improving movement between busy routes towards Sadar, Hazratganj and Telibagh.

One of the key proposals is an underpass at Bhagat VC Dwar on the Raebareli-Lucknow road, helping traffic and pedestrians avoid crossing the busy arterial road at surface level.

As per reports, the Polytechnic Chauraha underpass is planned from the HAL side of the junction towards Web Cinema. The proposed underpass will be around 700 metres long and cost approximately ₹90 crore.

Polytechnic handles traffic moving towards Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Bahraich and other parts of the city, making it one of Lucknow’s busiest junctions. Taking through traffic underground is expected to reduce congestion at the surface level and make the corridor faster to cross.

At Awadh Chauraha, an approximately 887-metre-long, two-lane underpass is being constructed at a cost of around ₹146 crore.

More than 80% of the civil work is reportedly complete, with box pushing nearing its final stage. The surface traffic is expected to be streamlined by December 2026, while the underpass is targeted for completion by April 2027.

Other projects include underpasses at Lohia Crossing and Mithaiwala Crossing in Gomti Nagar, along with proposed underpasses at Nirala Nagar and Bhithouli Crossing. These are particularly important at locations where railway gates can bring traffic to a sudden standstill.

The biggest advantage of these projects is better separation of traffic. Through traffic can move via underpasses while local turning traffic continues on the surface. At railway crossings, underpasses can also keep vehicles moving even when trains pass.

For Lucknow residents, the goal is simple: shorter queues, smoother commutes, less idling and safer movement at some of the city’s busiest junctions. If completed as planned, these projects could significantly change how traffic moves through several major corridors of the city.