Cracks appear on Rs 4,200 crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway within two weeks of inauguration

LUCKNOW: Cracks have appeared on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, which was built at a cost of Rs 4,200 crore and inaugurated with much fanfare, less than two weeks after it was opened to the public. A portion of the road also caved in following heavy rain, triggering criticism over the quality of construction.

The expressway was inaugurated on July 13 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. Just 12 days after the inauguration, on July 25, a section of the road caved in near Korari village in Unnao district. The damaged stretch is reported to be around five to seven metres long.

Samajwadi Party leader Madhusudan Yadav shared visuals from the site and criticised the government over the incident. He said he had personally witnessed the road caving in after the rain and alleged that large-scale corruption was behind the poor construction. He also warned that the damaged road could lead to serious accidents. After videos of the incident went viral, officials of the National Highways Authority reached the spot and began emergency repair work. However, the authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.