Lucknow Development Authority plans mini sports arena near Gwari Flyover in Gomti Nagar

It appears that Lucknow is set to witness major sports infrastructure development. Earlier, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation decided to develop sports facilities under the flyovers to use the underused urban infrastructure sustainably. The initial phase targets the area under flyovers along the Munshipulia-Polytechnic corridor, specifically between Munshipulia crossing and Kaleva crossing. But the love saga of Lucknow with these underused flyover spaces has only grown since then. Now, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is advancing sports infrastructure in Lucknow with a new mini sports arena near Gwari flyover in Gomti Nagar.

LDA plans to build a mini sports arena on a 20,000 sq m (about 5 acres) green belt section near Sahara, connected to Shaheed Path. Funded by LDA's own ₹8 crore budget, it targets residents in Gomtinagar and extensions, promoting outdoor games, physical fitness, and accessible facilities. LDA Assistant Engineer Rahul Verma confirmed the initiative will transform part of the green belt, adjacent to a lotus-themed park, into a sports hub under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Inspired by the Janeshwar Mishra Park's layout and scaled for denser urban use, the arena will feature:

• A full football ground.
• Courts for pickleball, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and tennis.
• Open areas for yoga and a small green park.
• An open skating rink.
• Basic food zone for players and visitors.
• Ample parking, leveraging the site's strong city connectivity.

The long, narrow land will be segmented for efficiency, with toilet blocks and amenities spaced every 150-200 meters.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is in the final stages, due for release next week, paving the way for construction akin to LDA's prior green-space sports integrations in Lucknow. Although the facility is not expected to be beneath the flyover but has increasing informal settlements and encroachments emerging as a major hurdle to overcome traffic in the areas. In prominent areas such as the Nishantganj, Gomti Nagar, and Lal Kuan flyovers, vegetable and fruit markets now operate directly under traffic corridors.