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Weeks after opening, the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway developed damaged stretches after heavy rain, with industrial fans brought in during repair work, raising fresh questions.
NHAI has ordered a technical probe as the repairs spark political and public reactions. (X/@Benarasiyaa)
Just weeks after the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway opened, a damaged stretch of the road has raised fresh concerns about its construction. Heavy rainfall caused part of the highway to sink, forcing repair work and traffic diversions.
As workers tried to fix the affected section, industrial fans were placed along the road to help dry the wet ground before reconstruction could begin. The unusual repair method also drew reactions from politicians and social media users.
Heavy Rain Damages Newly Opened Road
According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), continuous rainfall allowed water to seep beneath the road surface, as per India Today. This weakened the soil below and caused part of the expressway to slip.
Visuals from the site showed around 10 industrial fans placed near the damaged stretch to remove moisture from the ground. NHAI reportedly said drying the soil was necessary before repair work could continue.
Traffic between Kanpur and Lucknow has been diverted through a single carriageway while repairs are underway. Many commuters raised safety concerns because construction work is taking place next to moving vehicles.
Some motorists also said they had to drive on the wrong side of the expressway after entering through toll plazas. Several passengers claimed they were charged toll without being told about the diversion. They said they would have taken another route if they had known about the disruption.
Authorities Order Probe Into The Damage
The incident has also raised questions about the quality of construction. Reports said the same location had already been repaired less than a month ago, and after the latest spell of rain, similar road surface damage was found at seven to eight other spots on the expressway.
According to a press release, NHAI has asked IIT Kharagpur to carry out a technical investigation into the reason for the failure. The authority has also ordered a laser profilometer survey of the entire road.
Construction company PNC Infratech has reportedly been issued a notice over alleged lapses. Proceedings have also started to declare it a non-performing contractor. The company will bear the estimated Rs 3 crore repair cost.
Officials responsible for supervising the project have been removed and barred from taking part in NHAI and related ministry projects for two years. Toll collection on the affected stretch will remain suspended until repairs are completed.
यूपी : लखनऊ–कानपुर एक्सप्रेस वे पर पेच वर्क के पास भरे बरसाती पानी को सुखाने के लिए 10 पंखे लगाए गए हैं !!यह तकनीक देश से बाहर नहीं जानी चाहिए… https://t.co/fGBi4M9LSn pic.twitter.com/38LJUo8pJl
— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) August 6, 2026
Political Reactions And Online Comments Follow
The damaged expressway soon became a political issue after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav shared photos of the repair work on Instagram. Referring to the use of fans, he called it the BJP’s “new model of development” and questioned how a road inaugurated only days earlier had already needed repairs.
He also alleged that infrastructure built under the BJP government was becoming known more for “sinking, collapsing and falling” than for durability.
Adding to the situation, a truck carrying construction material reportedly got stuck on the damaged stretch during the repair work.
People also shared their views online. A user wrote, “How dumb the people over there can be to use to table fan faced towards the open air to dry the road below.”
Another said, “Are bhai isko international tv pr chalwao thoda sikh paynge bahar ke log ki barish ho ya toofan kaise kaam kiya jata hai patching ka! I don’t believe we live in a world where US had tech like b2 bomber in 70s & we are living in 2026 still not able to make roads.”
Others commented, “Are we rolling back to stone age!!! Marvelous technologies invented by so-called stakeholders,” “Those fans are barely making a dent,” “Keep paying taxing, Keep buying fuel at high prices and get this in return,” and “Yeh technology bahar nahi jana chahiye.”
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August 06, 2026, 16:46 IST
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