Lucknow Sadar Bazaar to get four-level automated parking facility

Lucknow Cantonment’s congested Sadar Bazaar is set to get the city’s first robotic multi-level car parking facility after the Defence Ministry sanctioned Rs 15.64 crore for the project.

The facility is planned on Mangal Pandey Road and is intended to reduce traffic congestion and roadside parking in one of the cantonment’s busiest commercial areas.

Construction is expected to begin within two months, while completion has been targeted within 18 months, according to Lucknow Cantonment Board chief executive officer Abhishek Rathour.

The foundation stone for the project was laid on August 30 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.

Traffic congestion in Sadar Bazaar is particularly severe during evening hours. From 6pm to 8pm, parts of Prabhu Dayal Marg, Shiv Mandir Road, Nehru Road and Mangal Pandey Marg can see traffic jams lasting up to an hour, with roadside parking reducing the available carriageway.

The new facility has been designed to increase parking capacity without requiring conventional ramps for vehicles.

Motorists will leave their cars at designated entry bays at ground level. Sensors will detect vehicle dimensions before robotic shuttles and lifts move the vehicles to assigned parking slots.

For retrieval, motorists will present a token at the exit bay, after which the automated system will locate the vehicle and bring it back.

The parking facility will have four automated levels, with 25 parking spaces on each level, giving it a total capacity of 100 cars.

The existing surface parking facility can accommodate around 60 vehicles.

The ground floor will primarily contain commercial space, including five halls measuring approximately 6.35 metres by 18 metres each. Revenue generated from these commercial establishments is proposed to help fund the operation and maintenance of the automated parking facility.

The facility will have separate entry and exit points connecting it to the main road and will also include rainwater harvesting.

“The project is planned with an objective of improving traffic circulation and mitigating congestion caused by roadside parking,” Rathour said.

The project is being executed by UP Projects Corporation Limited on a deposit-work basis and is expected to benefit around 25,000 residents and visitors using the Sadar area.

The parking facility is part of 12 development projects worth Rs 100.92 crore approved by the Defence Ministry for Lucknow Cantonment.

Other approved works include an AI-based solid-waste management plant, bio-mining of legacy waste, water-pipeline replacement and eight automated tubewells.