NHAI Suspends Toll On Newly-Opened Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway After Facing Flak Over Damage

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday suspended toll collection on the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway until repairs to a damaged stretch are completed, and initiated disciplinary action against the concessionaire, the engineer and several officials over alleged lapses in project execution and supervision.

The move follows widespread complaints about damaged portions and patchwork at various locations on the 63-km-long expressway within weeks of its inauguration on July 13.

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 carriageway.

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

"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 on Wednesday.

The action follows the report of a "slippage" near Km 64 of the expressway on July 26, it added.

The authority said that the restoration work was taken up immediately after the incident and traffic had been diverted at the affected location.

"At present, traffic has been diverted at this spot and is plying smoothly," it said.

NHAI said it had issued a notice proposing to declare concessionaire PNC Infratech Ltd a non-performer, which would make it ineligible to participate in bidding for future NHAI projects. A show-cause notice has also been issued proposing a penalty equivalent to two per cent 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.

It said the concessionaire had also been directed to rectify the affected stretch at its own cost, currently estimated at around ₹3 crore.

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 over alleged negligence.

NHAI said it was also issuing a notice proposing to debar Theme Engineering Services Pvt Ltd, the project's independent engineer, from participating in future NHAI projects.

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 K S Reddy of IIT Kharagpur to investigate the causes of the slippage and recommend remedial measures.

"NHAI remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety and accountability in the development and maintenance of National Highway infrastructure," the statement said.