Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway Sinks, Yet Builder Bags ₹3,483 Cr Contracts
The government built a brand-new, super-fast road called the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, which cost about ₹4,700 crore.
The road opened on July 13, 2026, and was the first highway in India without toll barriers, so cars could drive without stopping to pay.
But very soon after it opened, parts of the road started to sink and break, and there were six places where the road caved in.
The company that built and ran the road is called PNC Infratech.
The National Highways Authority of India, or NHAI, is the government group in charge of highways, and it is very unhappy with the company's work.
NHAI sent a notice saying it wants to call PNC Infratech a 'non-performer,' which means it did not do its job properly.
NHAI also said the company must pay about ₹3 crore to fix the road, and drivers will not have to pay the road toll until the repairs are done.
Here is the confusing part: just days before the road problems, PNC Infratech signed deals to build two more roads in Uttar Pradesh worth ₹3,483 crore.
Some leaders, like Akhilesh Yadav, are asking why the same company is getting big new projects while being blamed for a broken road.
So far, NHAI has not publicly answered those questions.
The ₹4,700-crore, 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway — India's first 'barrier-less' expressway, inaugurated July 13, 2026 — has caved in at six locations, including near Korari and Unnao.
NHAI issued a show-cause notice proposing to declare builder PNC Infratech Limited a 'non-performer' and ordered the firm to pay the estimated ₹3 crore in repair costs.
Toll collection on the expressway will remain suspended until repair work is completed.
Days before the collapses became public, PNC Infratech signed agreements — disclosed to BSE and NSE on July 17, 2026 — for two NH-927 highway packages in Uttar Pradesh worth ₹3,483 crore.
Critics, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, questioned why the firm received new contracts despite 'non-performer' proceedings; NHAI has not publicly responded.
- Who
- PNC Infratech Limited (builder and concessionaire), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and critics including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
- What
- The newly opened ₹4,700-crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway caved in at multiple points; NHAI moved to declare PNC Infratech a 'non-performer,' suspended tolls, and ordered repairs at the firm's cost — even as PNC signed ₹3,483 crore in new highway contracts.
- When
- Expressway inaugurated on July 13, 2026; first cave-in reported on July 26, 2026; second major cave-in on or around August 5, 2026; new contracts signed July 16, 2026.
- Where
- On the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway (NE-6) in Uttar Pradesh, with cave-ins near Korari (km 64) and Unnao (km 30.6); new packages on NH-927 in Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- The expressway's repeated subsidence within weeks of opening triggered NHAI disciplinary action, while the timing of new contract awards to the same firm drew accusations of corruption.
Critics (Opposition & social media)
NHAI / Official view
Awarding ₹3,483 crore contracts amid 'non-performer' proceedings
Critics (Opposition & social media)
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and social media users call it corruption: a firm being declared a 'non-performer' for shoddy execution of the ₹4,700-crore expressway should not be handed two new highway packages.
NHAI / Official view
The NH-927 agreements were signed on July 16, 2026 — days before the cave-ins became public — and the 'non-performer' status is only proposed via a show-cause notice; NHAI has not publicly responded to the criticism.
Sufficiency of accountability for the expressway collapse
Critics (Opposition & social media)
Critics argue a new, expensive road that sank within weeks demands strong, visible punishment rather than fresh contracts, and NHAI should explain why it kept doing business with the firm.
NHAI / Official view
NHAI says it is acting through due process: three officials removed and barred from projects for two years, project directors named, a full technical audit ordered, and penalties including repair costs at the firm's expense.
- Expressway
- Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway (NE-6) — India's first 'barrier-less' expressway
- Project cost
- ₹4,700 crore
- Length
- 63 km
- Inauguration
- July 13, 2026, by Union minister Nitin Gadkari
- Builder / concessionaire
- PNC Infratech Limited (listed on BSE and NSE)
- Cave-in sites reported
- 6 locations
- New contracts
- Two NH-927 HAM packages worth ₹3,483 crore (signed July 16, 2026)
- NHAI action
- Show-cause notice for 'non-performer' status; repair cost (~₹3 crore) on firm; toll suspended; 2% security penalty and possible three-year debarment proposed