Rs 4,200 crore UP expressway sinks weeks after opening, dug up again

The Story in Brief

The Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway, opened on 13 July at a reported cost of about Rs 4,200 crore, has developed repeated instances of sinking and surface slippage within weeks. Initial distress was reported on the night of 26 July near kilometre 64; authorities later excavated and reconstructed a roughly 300‑metre stretch as a preventive measure. Repair teams have deployed excavators, JCBs and rollers at multiple sites, and some sections are reduced to a single carriageway, forcing two‑way traffic on one side. Near the Unnao entry motorists have been required to make U‑turns and travel against the normal flow; several drivers said FASTag tolls were deducted before they were informed of the diversion.

The National Highways Authority of India has suspended toll collection on the entire expressway, issued show‑cause notices to concessionaire PNC Infratech and initiated penalties and debarment proceedings, and removed or repatriated officials responsible for supervision. NHAI’s preliminary view points to rainwater ingress reaching subsoil; removed material has been sent for testing and an IIT Kharagpur team led by Professor K S Reddy has been appointed to probe causes. NHAI says the affected length across five sites is under one kilometre and that, under the Hybrid Annuity Model, the concessionaire must bear rectification costs estimated at around Rs 3 crore.

The Indian Opinion

The reporting highlights two sets of factual claims: visible damage and operational disruption on the expressway, and official assertions that the problem is limited in scale and linked to water ingress. Both are plausible and presentable to an ordinary reader, but they point in different directions. Motorists’ accounts of wrong‑side diversions and tolls taken before warnings are practical concerns for safety and user information. At the same time, NHAI’s note that affected stretches total less than a kilometre and that material testing is under way suggests the situation may not reflect systemic failure. Given the ongoing IIT Kharagpur probe and pending lab reports, it is reasonable to withhold final judgement; accountability measures announced now aim to protect standards, but the permanence of repairs through the monsoon remains uncertain.

Original article: Rs 4,200-crore UP expressway sinks within weeks of opening, road dug up again (www.indiatoday.in)

This story was summarised and commented on by AI from the source linked above.