Barely A Month After Opening, Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway Is Being Cut Open & Rebuilt At Several Locations

Lucknow: Barely a month after opening, the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway is already being cut open, patched and rebuilt at several locations, raising questions over construction quality and the checks carried out before the 63-km corridor was opened to traffic.

A ground inspection found extensive repair work, uneven road surfaces, damaged shoulders, drainage problems and signs of settlement near a bridge approach. The Uttar Pradesh Home Department has now sought a status report from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The most extensive repair activity was found on the carriageway from Kanpur towards Lucknow. Between kilometre 28 and 35, repair work was underway along the roadside and side lanes across nearly seven kilometres. Aggregates, bitumen and construction machinery were stacked at several locations.

At some places, long stretches of the newly laid road were being cut open and reconstructed instead of being repaired through routine patchwork.

Drainage has emerged as another concern. Up to kilometre 37.6, work was underway at five locations where drains had already been constructed but were being broken again to improve water discharge. In several places, crash barriers had blocked the drains, preventing proper flow and pushing water towards the road structure.

Highway experts say poor drainage can weaken the soil beneath the pavement and eventually damage the road surface. Grass up to two feet high was also found along parts of the road edges, while soil slopes had eroded at several locations.

Other defects were found along the route. At kilometre 39.5, workers were filling cracks in a bridge. At kilometre 39.8, repair work had reduced traffic to one of the four lanes. Three major patches were visible up to kilometre 47, while the road surface was uneven at several places even at around 60 kmph.

A more serious problem has emerged near Niverna in Unnao. At kilometre 53.6, the approach road to a bridge has started showing signs of settlement, with concrete blocks becoming uneven and shifting. Near Kantha village, around 200 metres of road has developed damage at several points and has been placed under diversion for repairs.

PNC Infratech, which was involved in the construction, has increased repair work following complaints. PNC manager Satya Narayan said there was no major problem near Niverna and attributed some defects to the movement of vehicles and construction machinery. He said some stones had shifted and would be repositioned.

The Home Department has sought a status report from NHAI and information on whether the problems have implications for other projects being executed by PNC Infratech. Officials also asked whether PNC had been debarred from projects. NHAI officials said the process was under consideration.

The problems extend beyond the road surface. Several emergency telephone booths were found either non-functional or unable to establish proper communication with the control room. At kilometre 56.1, repeated attempts to connect failed. At kilometres 58 and 60, calls connected but the control room staff could not hear the person using the booth.

NHAI had claimed emergency assistance would be available within 15 minutes through these booths.

Service facilities are also incomplete. One service area has a small restaurant and a building under construction, while toilets were found in poor condition. Another proposed service area has only land identified.

The expressway was meant to provide faster and smoother connectivity between Lucknow and Kanpur. Its early repair requirements now raise a basic question: why did so many defects appear within weeks of opening, and who will be held responsible for the work that now has to be redone?