Rs 4,200 crore Lucknow-Kanpur expressway caved in. PNC Infratech, the firm that built it, has been banned from bidding for new tenders issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), NHAI, or their agencies for three years.

The NHAI suspended toll collection on the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway following road damage on the 63-km expressway within weeks of its inauguration in July 2026. Disciplinary action was initiated against the concessionaire, engineer and several officials over alleged lapses in project execution and supervision. The suspension continues until repairs to damaged stretches are completed.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) denied claims that a section of the recently-inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Elevated Expressway had caved in, stating only the upper surface over about 40 metres was affected due to slippage in the wearing coat, which was repaired before 5 pm and traffic resumed normally. NHAI Project Director Nakul Prakash Verma explained that a true cave-in means soil beneath settles and the entire road sinks, whereas this was only surface slippage. He noted such technical issues can occasionally arise on long bituminous road stretches, though are uncommon on concrete roads. A video from Unnao's Korari area had circulated on social media, initially shared by a local Samajwadi Party worker, prompting questions about construction quality and allegations of corruption; these allegations have not been verified by any government agency. The 63-km expressway, built at an estimated cost of Rs 4,700 crore, was inaugurated on July 13 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The project aims to reduce travel time between the cities and ease traffic congestion. No separate inquiry is proposed.

The six-lane expressway, designed for 120 kmph speeds, was formally inaugurated on Monday by defence minister Rajnath Singh, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The project, conceived in 2018 and completed after 1,648 days of planning and construction, was formally launched in March 2019 and declared National Expressway-6 in December 2020.

Developed by PNC Infratech for NHAI, the project was executed in two packages: an 18-km elevated corridor connecting Amausi and Shaheed Path in Lucknow, and a 45-km greenfield section traversing 11 villages in Lucknow and 31 villages in Unnao.

Features include automated tolling via FASTag and ANPR technology, Multi-Lane Free Flow tolling eliminating toll plazas, over 80 CCTV cameras, 16 Video Incident Detection Systems, speed radars and centralised traffic management. More than 46,000 saplings planted along the route.

Gadkari announced a second project: a 23-km three-tier transport corridor from Lucknow airport via Shaheed Path to Faizabad Road, featuring elevated roadway and electric mass rapid transit system using Malaysian engineering technology with 120-metre pier spans, reducing costs by 30%.

Chief Minister announced a rapid rail project connecting Lucknow and Kanpur via Unnao. Outer Ring Road planned for State Capital Region. 101 development projects worth over ₹570 crore inaugurated and foundation laid in Unnao district.