Lucknow. The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, built at a cost of approximately ₹4,200 crore, is in the news for technical flaws that have surfaced just days after its inauguration. Five incidents of road surface collapse and damage have been reported at various locations within just 20 days of the expressway’s opening. This has raised questions about the construction quality, and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated a review of the entire matter.
Since its inauguration, technical flaws have been continuously emerging on the expressway. Five incidents of road collapse or sinking have been reported within just 20 days at Korari, Begumkheda, Turi, Jagetha, and near kilometer 64 in Unnao. These incidents have raised questions about the construction quality, and the NHAI has initiated an investigation into the matter. During the rains, incidents of road surface collapse and sinking were reported at several locations. Each time, traffic was restored by repairing the relevant portion, but repeated defects have sparked debate about the expressway’s quality.
According to media reports, the NHAI is now preparing to conduct a second technical inspection of the entire expressway. A detailed investigation will be conducted by a team of experts at locations where problems have repeatedly occurred. If negligence or deficiencies in quality are found at any level of construction, action may be taken against the relevant agencies and officials.
In view of safety, the speed limit on the expressway is also being reviewed. Until the investigation is complete, other precautionary measures, including reducing the speed limit in some areas, may be implemented to ensure passenger safety.
However, the NHAI maintains that the road did not completely cave in at the locations where the damage occurred, but only the upper ‘wearing coat’ was affected. According to the authority, the affected sections were repaired within a few hours, and traffic is currently operating normally on the expressway. This 63-kilometer-long, six-lane expressway was inaugurated on July 13th. The expressway cost approximately ₹66 crore per kilometer to build. Since its opening, travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur has been reduced to approximately 35 to 45 minutes, but incidents in the early days have raised questions about its quality and monitoring system.