Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Barely A Month After Opening, Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway Being Rebuilt
A big new road called the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway just opened about one month ago.
It is a long highway that helps people drive between two cities in India.
But very soon after it opened, workers started digging it up and building parts of it again.
That is strange for a brand-new road.
People found bumps, cracks, and blocked drains along the road.
Part of the road near a bridge is even starting to sink.
Some of the emergency phones along the road do not work properly.
The builders say it is not a big problem and that trucks and machines caused the damage.
Government leaders are asking for a report to find out what happened.
They want to know who should fix the road and pay for the repairs.
Barely a month after opening, the 63-km Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway is being cut open and rebuilt at several locations.
A ground inspection found uneven road surfaces, damaged shoulders, drainage problems, and signs of settlement near a bridge approach.
The Uttar Pradesh Home Department has sought a status report from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Near Niverna in Unnao, the bridge approach at km 53.6 showed signs of settlement, while about 200 metres of road near Kantha village was placed under diversion.
Emergency telephone booths along the expressway were found non-functional or unable to connect with the control room, and service facilities remain incomplete.
- Who
- The Uttar Pradesh Home Department, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and constructor PNC Infratech
- What
- The newly opened Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway is being cut open, patched, and rebuilt at several locations due to defects
- When
- Barely a month after the expressway opened
- Where
- The Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, including stretches near Niverna and Kantha village in Unnao
- Why
- Construction quality concerns, including drainage problems, uneven road surfaces, damaged shoulders, and settlement near a bridge approach
Inspectors and officials
PNC Infratech
Extent of defects
Inspectors and officials
Ground inspection found extensive defects including settlement near Niverna, broken drains, and sections being fully reconstructed.
PNC Infratech
PNC manager Satya Narayan said there was no major problem near Niverna, with only some stones shifted.
Cause of damage
Inspectors and officials
Highway experts say poor drainage can weaken the soil beneath the pavement and damage the road surface.
PNC Infratech
PNC attributed some defects to the movement of vehicles and construction machinery.
Responsibility and accountability
Inspectors and officials
The Home Department asked whether the problems have implications for other PNC Infratech projects and whether PNC had been debarred.
PNC Infratech
PNC Infratech increased repair work following complaints, with NHAI saying the debarment process was under consideration.
- Expressway
- Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway
- Length
- 63 km
- Status
- Cut open and rebuilt at several locations barely a month after opening
- Most affected stretch
- Nearly 7 km between km 28 and km 35 on the Kanpur-to-Lucknow carriageway
- Overseeing authority
- National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
- Constructor
- PNC Infratech
- Investigation
- Uttar Pradesh Home Department sought a status report from NHAI
- Serious defect
- Settlement near the bridge approach at km 53.6 in Niverna, Unnao