NHAI Dismisses Cave In Claim On Lucknow Kanpur Expressway

30 Jul 2026 CW Team

On questions about construction quality, Verma said technical issues of this kind may occur occasionally on long stretches of bituminous or asphalt roads, while such problems are generally uncommon on concrete pavements. He said there was no proposal at present for a separate inquiry, describing the episode as a routine technical matter that had been rectified promptly by the project team. The NHAI framed the response as part of routine maintenance and oversight on a large infrastructure project.

A video purportedly showing damage at the Korari area of Unnao circulated on social media and was first shared by a local Samajwadi Party worker before the party media cell reposted it while questioning construction standards. Several social media users raised concerns about execution, material quality and the use of public funds, and some alleged corruption, although those claims have not been verified by any government agency. The authority limited its account to technical details and confirmed that the expressway was fit for traffic following repairs.

The 63 km long Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Elevated Expressway was built at an estimated cost of about Rs 47 bn and was inaugurated on 13 July by the Defence Minister, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The project is intended to reduce travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur and ease traffic congestion on the corridor. NHAI said it would continue routine inspections and maintenance of the stretch.

NHAI said a viral claim that a section of the recently inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Elevated Expressway had caved in was incorrect, stating that only the upper surface of the carriageway was affected and that repairs were completed within hours. NHAI Project Director Nakul Prakash Verma told PTI that the affected stretch measured 40 metres and that the incident could not be described as a road cave-in because that denotes settlement of the soil beneath the road and sinking of the entire carriageway. He said repairs were completed before five pm on Sunday and traffic resumed normally. On questions about construction quality, Verma said technical issues of this kind may occur occasionally on long stretches of bituminous or asphalt roads, while such problems are generally uncommon on concrete pavements. He said there was no proposal at present for a separate inquiry, describing the episode as a routine technical matter that had been rectified promptly by the project team. The NHAI framed the response as part of routine maintenance and oversight on a large infrastructure project. A video purportedly showing damage at the Korari area of Unnao circulated on social media and was first shared by a local Samajwadi Party worker before the party media cell reposted it while questioning construction standards. Several social media users raised concerns about execution, material quality and the use of public funds, and some alleged corruption, although those claims have not been verified by any government agency. The authority limited its account to technical details and confirmed that the expressway was fit for traffic following repairs. The 63 km long Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Elevated Expressway was built at an estimated cost of about Rs 47 bn and was inaugurated on 13 July by the Defence Minister, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The project is intended to reduce travel time between Lucknow and Kanpur and ease traffic congestion on the corridor. NHAI said it would continue routine inspections and maintenance of the stretch.

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