Free travel on Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway for now — here's the full story of what went wrong

Inspections have identified six locations where pavement slippage or settlement has occurred. Preliminary findings suggest monsoon moisture infiltrated from the surface course into the binder and base layers to a depth of up to 1.5 metres — affecting four of the six flagged locations.

NHAI has initiated proceedings to declare PNC Infratech a non-performing contractor following glaring lapses in construction quality on the newly inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway — just weeks after its July 13 inauguration. Toll collection has been suspended until all damaged stretches are fully repaired. (Representative image)

An NHAI official noted a critical factor: "The road was ready for traffic in June 2025. Had it been opened soon after completion, regular vehicle movement could have improved the ductility and waterproofing. Since the carriageway remained unused for almost a year before inauguration, ageing and oxidation may have made the pavement brittle."

NHAI imposed a financial penalty on PNC Infratech, downgraded its rating and directed it to restore all damaged stretches at its own expense. Chargesheets were issued to Lucknow PIU director Nakul Verma and former PIU director Saurabh Chaurasia for alleged lapses in monitoring — both repatriated to the Ministry.

NHAI has constituted an expert committee led by IIT Kharagpur Professor KS Reddy to determine the exact cause of failure and recommend corrective measures — with the authority also deploying laser profilometer technology to assess pavement conditions across the entire 63-km corridor.

Current repairs are estimated at around ₹3 crore for a small stretch. However, a long-term solution could require reconstruction of the entire 525-mm pavement package across 125-126 km of the expressway — with the final cost potentially running to hundreds of crores. The corridor was built at an estimated cost of ₹4,200 crore.