Rs 4,200-crore UP expressway sinks within weeks of opening, road dug up again
Barely three weeks after it opened to traffic, parts of the newly built Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway have developed repeated instances of sinking and surface slippage, forcing
Barely three weeks after it opened to traffic, parts of the newly built Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway have developed repeated instances of sinking and surface slippage, forcing authorities to dig up and rebuild damaged stretches. At several locations, traffic has been restricted to a single carriageway, while near the Unnao entry point, motorists are being forced to take U-turns and drive on the wrong side of the road due to ongoing repair work. Read Full Story A ground assessment by India Today TV found repair work underway at multiple locations, with heavy machinery deployed to excavate damaged portions and reconstruct the pavement. At one of the worst-affected locations, a stretch of around 300 metres is being dug up as a preventive measure after the road developed problems more than once. The disruption has now prompted the Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to suspend toll collection across the entire expressway until the affected stretches are fully repaired. It has also initiated action against concessionaire PNC Infratech, officials responsible for project supervision and the project's independent engineer. The expressway, built at a cost of around Rs 4,200 crore, was inaugurated on July 13 to improve connectivity between Lucknow and Kanpur. The first major signs of trouble emerged on the night of July 26, when sinking and slippage were reported near kilometre 64, just 13 days after the opening. SAME STRETCH REPAIRED AGAIN At kilometre 64, where some of the most extensive work is underway, excavators could be seen cutting through the carriageway while rollers compacted freshly laid material. NHAI officials said the initial problem was detected along a roughly 120-metre patch. About 100 metres of the bituminous surface was repaired, while around 20 metres was completely excavated and reconstructed. But the problem did not end there. Further inspection raised concerns that water might have penetrated other portions of the pavement, prompting NHAI to excavate and reconstruct a much larger, roughly 300-metre stretch. Minor slippages were subsequently reported at three or four other locations. Following further rainfall, complaints of surface erosion and settlement emerged at several patches along the expressway. On the ground, the impact is clearly visible. At some damaged sections, the surface has deteriorated enough for portions of the pavement material to crumble. Heavy machinery, including JCBs and rollers, has been deployed as workers remove damaged layers and lay fresh material. The repeated repairs have raised questions over the construction quality of an expressway that has been operational for only a few weeks. TRAFFIC ON SAME CARRIAGEWAY AS REPAIRS The repairs have also created a difficult traffic situation. With one carriageway shut at affected locations, vehicles travelling from Lucknow to Kanpur and those heading in the opposite direction are being routed through the same operational side.
The BriefWire