Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway Caves In Again, Disrupting Commuter Traffic
Part of a new highway between Kanpur and Lucknow sank again.
Officials closed one side of the road to keep people safe.
Drivers are now using the other side for traffic in both directions.
This may cause delays for people traveling between the cities.
The highway opened on July 13.
It has been fully usable for only 23 of its first 39 days.
The construction company is repairing the damaged road and drainage system.
An engineer said an investigation found poor materials and drainage problems.
The company and authorities have not been quoted giving a detailed response to those allegations in the article.
A 700-metre stretch of the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway subsided again on Friday, blocking one flank.
Commuters are using the opposite carriageway, creating traffic disruption between Kanpur, Unnao and Lucknow.
The ₹4,200-crore expressway opened on July 13 but was fully operational for only 23 of its first 39 days.
The construction company, PNC Infratech Limited, has begun repairs and reconstruction of the drainage system.
An engineer said an IIT Kharagpur inquiry found substandard materials and inadequate drainage after earlier cracks emerged.
- Who
- Commuters, authorities, PNC Infratech Limited and officials connected with the expressway project.
- What
- A 700-metre section subsided again, while six large cracks also appeared along a 13-kilometre stretch.
- When
- The latest damage occurred on Friday; the expressway opened on July 13 and earlier cracks appeared on July 28.
- Where
- On the Unnao-Lucknow section of the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway, particularly in villages in Unnao district.
- Why
- An engineer attributed the damage to substandard construction material and an inadequately developed drainage system, according to an IIT Kharagpur inquiry.
- Expressway cost
- ₹4,200 crore
- Opening date
- July 13
- Latest damaged stretch
- About 700 metres
- Earlier damage
- More than 300 metres developed large cracks on July 28
- Operational record
- Fully operational for 23 of the first 39 days
- Repair estimate
- A local commuter said restoring the affected flank could take at least a month
- Reported inquiry finding
- An engineer said IIT Kharagpur found substandard material and inadequate drainage