NHAI Suspends Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway Toll After Road Slippage

The National Highways Authority of India suspended toll collection on the 63-km Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway on August 5, 2026, after detecting road slippage along a 300-meter stretch near kilometer 64. The damage appeared shortly after the ₹4,200-crore project was inaugurated on July 13, leading to commuter complaints regarding construction quality. Visual evidence of the damage was reported near Korari village in the Unnao district following heavy rain.

NHAI announced that toll collection will remain suspended until the road is fully rectified. The authority ordered the project concessionaire, PNC Infratech Ltd, to fund the estimated ₹3 crore repair cost and stated that any lost toll revenue would be recovered from the firm. NHAI has proposed declaring PNC Infratech a non-performer, a designation that would disqualify the company from future bidding.

In addition to financial penalties, NHAI removed several project managers and engineers, issuing charge sheets and debarments for negligence. Theme Engineering Services Pvt Ltd, the project's independent engineer, also faces a proposal for debarment from future projects. A team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, led by Professor K S Reddy, is currently investigating the cause of the slippage.