Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway cracks just 12 days after inauguration; Rs 4,200-crore project faces quality questions
PTC Web Desk: Serious questions have been raised over the construction quality of the newly inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield National Elevated Expressway after cracks and a damaged section of the road were reported following rain.
The development comes just 12 days after the Rs 4,200-crore project was inaugurated, raising concerns about the quality of construction and the monitoring of the highway. The expressway was inaugurated on July 13 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
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The issue came to light on July 25, when visuals showing cracks and a damaged portion of the road surfaced from the Unnao area.
Samajwadi Party leader Madhusudan Yadav shared a video from the expressway and claimed that a section measuring around five to seven metre had caved in near Korari village.
In the video, Yadav can be seen pointing towards the damaged road while expressing concern over the condition of the newly built expressway.
“I was travelling on the Lucknow-Kanpur elevated expressway when I reached Korari and saw that the road had developed cracks after the rain,” Yadav said.
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The incident has triggered concerns about whether adequate quality checks and monitoring were carried out during the construction of the project. Yadav alleged that poor construction and corruption could be behind the damage and warned that cracks on a busy expressway could pose a serious safety risk to motorists.
However, the allegations have not been independently established.
Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had not responded to queries regarding the reported damage at the time of the report.
The issue came under the authorities’ attention after the video of the damaged section circulated. Repair work was subsequently started at the affected stretch near Korari village.
The Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield National Elevated Expressway was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 4,200 crore. The project is intended to improve connectivity between Lucknow and Kanpur and provide a faster alternative route for commuters travelling between the two cities.
The appearance of cracks so soon after its inauguration, however, has sparked a fresh debate over infrastructure quality and the need for strict monitoring of major highway projects.
- With inputs from agencies
