Green Corridor’s 2nd phase promises faster commuting

Lucknow: The second phase of the Green Corridor was inaugurated on Friday, moving the city closer to a signal-free route connecting major commercial areas such as Indira Nagar, Gomti Nagar, Hazratganj and the Old City.Planned along the Gomti river, the corridor will run 28-km from IIM Road to Kisan Path. The project involves an investment of Rs 1,519 crore and is expected to benefit around 15 lakh residents by cutting travel time across the city.The newly opened stretch is about seven-km-long. It runs from Daliganj through Nishatganj, Hanuman Setu, Nishatganj Bandha and the Kukrail river area to Samta Mulak Chowk near the Pipraghat railway bridge. The segment was built at a cost of nearly Rs 300 crore.Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) vice-chairperson Prathamesh Kumar said the corridor will reduce congestion in central areas. "Travel time on routes like Gomti Nagar to Daliganj is expected to come down to 10–15 minutes, benefiting more than one lakh commuters daily," he said. While the second phase becomes operational, work also started on the remaining portions of the corridor. The third and fourth phases will connect Pipraghat to Kisan Path and together are estimated to cost around Rs 1,220 crore. Of this, Rs 1,000 crore was already approved by the state govt.Phase three will cover nearly 5.8-km from Pipraghat Railway Bridge to Shaheed Path. The work includes construction of a 240-metre railway overbridge, embankment widening and improvements along Dilkusha Road. The final phase will extend another 6.3-km from Shaheed Path to Kisan Path, completing the riverfront route.LDA secretary Vivek Srivastava said 166 trees were transplanted during construction.