Travel On Kanpur-Lucknow Highway To Get Costlier: Toll Hike Coming, Check New Rates
Travel On Kanpur-Lucknow Highway To Get Costlier: Toll Hike Coming, Check New Rates Published By, Edited By Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 15:00 IST If
Travel On Kanpur-Lucknow Highway To Get Costlier: Toll Hike Coming, Check New Rates Published By, Edited By Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 15:00 IST If this second hike goes through, it would be the first time in a single financial year that NHAI has raised tolls on the same stretch twice. Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway: With the proposed additional hike of Rs 15 to Rs 30, monthly pass charges would eventually range from a minimum of Rs 100 to a maximum of Rs 550. Uttar Pradesh recently got the 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, cutting travel time between the two cities from three hours to just 40 minutes. But commuters on the older Kanpur-Lucknow Highway (NH-27) are bracing for bad news: a fresh toll hike, even as the highway lost around 4,000 vehicles on the expressway’s very first day. What makes this unusual is the timing. NHAI typically raises tolls only once a year, after midnight on March 31 — and it already did so for 2026-27, hiking rates by Rs 5 to Rs 45 across categories (cars were spared, as they were last year, while commercial vehicles and trucks absorbed the increase).
If this second hike goes through, it would be the first time in a single financial year that NHAI has raised tolls on the same stretch twice, according to a Dainik Jagran report citing NHAI project director Nakul Verma. ALSO READ: Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway: Announced Time Vs Actual Time, Ground Report Flags Unnao Detour Why Is NHAI Planning Another Hike So Soon? Verma’s reasoning centres on the free ride commuters currently get. The 18-km stretch of the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway up to Bani is currently toll-free, and vehicles are using it at no cost before rejoining the Kanpur-Lucknow Highway via the service road at Bani. NHAI’s view is that this needs to be offset by a hike on the highway itself. How Much Will The Hike Be, And When Will It Kick In? The proposed increase will go up to a maximum of Rs 30 across vehicle categories, from cars to larger commercial vehicles. The proposal is currently awaiting ministry approval; once cleared, the revised rates are expected to come into effect within one to one-and-a-half months, collected at the Nawabganj toll plaza. Is There Any Justification Beyond The Free Expressway Stretch?
Verma also pointed to recent highway upgrades — a Rs 102 crore overlay project along with strengthened road safety measures — as adding to commuters’ sense of a smoother ride, positioning the toll hike as tied to improved infrastructure rather than the expressway competition alone. What About Monthly Pass Holders? Monthly pass rates have already gone up this financial year, by a minimum of Rs 80 and a maximum of Rs 520 depending on vehicle size. With the proposed additional hike of Rs 15 to Rs 30, monthly pass charges would eventually range from a minimum of Rs 100 to a maximum of Rs 550. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered Will this double toll hike set a new precedent for NHAI? If a second toll hike occurs on the Kanpur-Lucknow Highway this financial year, it would be the first time NHAI has raised tolls on the same stretch twice. NHAI typically raises tolls once annually, after March 31. How will the toll hike impact local commuters and businesses? The Kanpur-Lucknow Highway is set to experience a second toll hike this year, which is unusual as NHAI typically raises tolls once annually on March 31.
The BriefWire