NHAI cracks down on concessionaire after ‘defects’ on Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway

Authority suspends toll collection till repairs, proposes ‘non-performer’ tag for PNC Infratech Ltd; IIT Kharagpur panel to probe surface failures on expressway

LUCKNOW Within weeks of its grand inauguration, the newly constructed ₹4,200-crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway has faced structural distress, prompting the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to suspend toll collections on Wednesday and initiate stringent disciplinary action against the concessionaire and monitoring officials.

A road surface damage was reported near Korari in Unnao district, barely three weeks after the 63-km greenfield expressway was opened to traffic on July 14 (Sourced)

The authority proposed to declare PNC Infratech Ltd – the concessionaire of the expressway – a “non-performer”, making it ineligible to participate in future NHAI tenders. The move follows widespread complaints about damaged portions and patchwork at various locations on the 63-km-long expressway after its inauguration on July 13 by defence minister Rajnath Singh and Union minister Nitin Gadkari in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

“Till complete rectification, toll has been suspended. No toll will be charged from commuters on this expressway. Recovery of the toll loss will be done from the concessionaire,” the NHAI said in a statement. The action follows the report of a “slippage” near Km 64 of the expressway on July 26, it added.

The NHAI said traffic had been diverted around the damaged location and vehicles were moving smoothly.

The latest damage reignited concerns over construction quality with commuters and experts questioning how a newly built expressway could suffer repeated structural distress within weeks of its inauguration.

Several commuters took to social media platforms where they posted videos expressing concern over the construction quality of the multi-crore expressway, particularly those on the Unnao-Lucknow path.

Commuters were charged a one-way fee of ₹275 for car/jeep/van. However, the annual pass was allowed on the toll.

Gautam Vishal, chief general manager and regional officer for UP NHAI, announcing a series of disciplinary and corrective measures, said the authority initiated action not only against the concessionaire but also against the independent engineering consultant and its own officials responsible for supervision of the project.

The NHAI issued a ‘non-performer’ notice to PNC Infratech, proposing to declare the company ineligible to bid for future NHAI projects. If the proposal is confirmed after due process, it could significantly affect the company’s prospects in the highway sector.

A show-cause notice was also issued proposing a penalty equivalent to 2% of the performance security, debarment proceedings for up to three years against the firm’s head of pavement/highways and other responsible staff and a downgrade of the concessionaire’s performance rating, he added.

The NHAI also directed the concessionaire to undertake complete reconstruction of the damaged stretch entirely at its own expense. The rectification work is estimated to cost around ₹3 crore, with no financial liability on NHAI.

The authority removed the construction agency’s project manager Vivek Kumar Gupta, independent engineer team leader Surendra Kumar and resident engineer Yatendra Kumar from the project and debarred them from projects of the ministry of road transport and highways, NHAI and NHIDCL for two years.

It also repatriated the present project director Nakul Prakash Verma to his parent department and said charge sheets were being issued against him and former project director Saurabh Chaurasia, under whose tenure a substantial portion of the expressway was constructed, for alleged negligence in discharge of their responsibilities.

The independent engineering consultant responsible for supervising construction also came under scrutiny. NHAI initiated proceedings to debar Theme Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd from participating in future NHAI projects, holding it accountable for lapses in supervision and quality control.

“The quality of the expressway is excellent, but due to some rainwater seeping inside from a point, some depressions were formed and they will be repaired soon,” PNC Infratech MD Chakresh Jain told HT. He, however, refused to comment on the action taken.

As part of the corrective measures, the authority said it would undertake a laser profilometer-based assessment of the pavement condition across the project stretch and had engaged a team of experts led by Professor KS Reddy of IIT Kharagpur to investigate the causes of the slippage and recommend remedial measures.

Laser profilometer technology measures pavement quality and detects surface irregularities with high precision. The survey will help identify hidden defects and determine whether further remedial work is required beyond the damaged section.

The committee has been tasked with carrying out a detailed technical investigation into the causes of repeated pavement failures, examining the design, materials, construction methodology, drainage, subgrade conditions and quality control processes. The panel will recommend both immediate and long-term corrective measures.