Delay fears loom large over ROB projects in Lucknow
While their budgets collectively exceed ₹1,700 crore, the progress rate of several of these projects was stuck between 2% and 30%
Of the 11 projects sanctioned to UP State Bridge Corporation for the state capital, only a few have, so far, reached even the halfway mark in terms of their physical completion, as per official data.
While their budgets collectively exceed ₹1,700 crore, the progress rate of several of these projects was stuck between 2% and 30%, raising questions about whether these projects will meet their deadlines or repeat the state’s familiar pattern of missing targets amid cost escalations.
As per the current data on these projects, which were accessed by HT, the Dilkusha–Malhaur railway overbridge (ROB), sanctioned in July 2023 with a massive outlay of ₹126.87 crore, has achieved just 2% progress even as its deadline ends in June next year. This overbridge is caught in a legal tangle as the high court has directed the authorities to resume the project only after the desired land is acquired.
The Anupganj ROB, which has a sanctioned budget of ₹140.45 crore, has achieved just 30% completion since March 2024.
The Harauni-Jaitipur overbridge project, which started in September 2023, is 85% complete. However, the project is likely to face a delay as the railways has not released its share of funds. Its deadline is set for December this year.
Meanwhile, the ROB near Krishna Nagar-Keshari Kheda, which has a sanctioned cost of ₹84 crore and is expected to be over 900 meters long, was 62% complete. Initially slated for completion in December this year, its deadline has been reset for June 2026. It is said that land acquisition delayed the project. A delay is likely since a file regarding the project has been pending with the Ministry of Railways for the last five months.
Similarly, the 857-metre-long ROB between Jalalpur Phatak and Lakshman Vihar (Rajajipuram), which is intended to ease traffic on the congested Lakshman Bihar–Para Road, was sanctioned in November 2023 with a completion target of December 2026. However, by mid-2025, only 25% of the work could be completed, despite a substantial budget of ₹153.26 crore. Its construction began in October 2024, but land acquisition has delayed the progress.
Among the most prominent initiatives is a 14.28 km four-lane road from the Raitha Underpass on the Outer Ring Road to the upcoming PM Mitra Textile Park, along with an 8.4 km widening effort of a road linking IIM Lucknow. The ₹409 crore project, which also includes a long-span bridge over the Gomti River, was envisioned as a logistical lifeline for regional industry. More than a year after its launch in March 2024, and with a target date set in March 2026, it is only 50% complete.
Not far from the historic Pucca Pull, the government is constructing a ₹92.89 crore four-lane arched bridge styled after the original. The bridge is intended to blend aesthetics with modernity, but with just 12% progress toward its scheduled December 2026 completion, execution appears to be lagging.
The much-touted 303-metre-long underpass at Awadh Chauraha, which is a part of the state government’s urban decongestion push, had made just 17% progress. The ₹53.98 crore project, which started in April and was initially supposed to end in December 2026, has now received an extension till June 2027.
Responding to possible delays of these projects, a senior department official said on the condition of anonymity: “While some projects may encounter delays due to land acquisition issues and other challenges, a majority of them are expected to be completed on schedule.”
Also, the construction of an overbridge on Para Road near Keshri Khera in Krishna Nagar came to an abrupt halt after the structure “ran into an unacquired building”. Corporation officials said the building in question was illegal and built on Nazul land, As such, the owner was not liable for compensation and demolition orders had been passed.
