# NHAI suspends toll, debars officials after fans used to dry Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway 2026-08-07T07:50:28+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet NHAI has suspended toll collection, debarred project officials, and proposed to declare concessionaire PNC Infratech a non-performer after contractors used industrial fans and blowers to dry a damaged stretch of the Rs 4,200-crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway. The expressway, inaugurated on July 13, developed cracks and subsidence at 84 locations within weeks. The road collapsed or suffered fresh distress nine times in 22 days, project insiders told Hindustan Times. The viral repair method, fans lined up to remove surface moisture after a truck sank into the pavement, was defended by the contractor as a way to speed up drying during monsoon. NHAI has ordered the contractor to repair all stretches at its own cost by Friday. ## Coverage - english.mathrubhumi.com - hindustantimes.com Tags: expressways, NHAI, PNC Infratech, road infrastructure, Uttar Pradesh Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/nhai-suspends-toll-after-cracks-hit-lucknow-kanpur-expressway/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/nhai-suspends-toll-after-cracks-hit-lucknow-kanpur-expressway/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.