Just 13 days after its inauguration, the Rs 4,200 crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway has developed damage at multiple locations following heavy rainfall. Portions of the newly opened expressway have subsided, while there are allegations of cracks and peeled asphalt along the stretch.
Cracks have now appeared on a section of the expressway due to rain, raising concerns over the quality of construction.
⦿ 13 जुलाई को उद्घाटन हुआ
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 26, 2026
⦿ 26 जुलाई को सड़क धंस गई
– ये 4,200 करोड़ रुपए में बने लखनऊ-कानपुर एक्सप्रेसवे की हकीकत है
BJP सरकार में घटिया माल लगाकर सड़कें बनाई जाती हैं, पैसों की लूट-खसोट होती है, नेता-मंत्री करोड़ों रुपए डकार जाते हैं।
नतीजा- जनता को 'तोहफे' में ऐसी धंसी… pic.twitter.com/7a7YT5D3hr
The Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield National Elevated Expressway was built at a cost of Rs 4,200 crore and inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on July 13.
How much money was used to construct Kanpur – Lucknow Expressway?
The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway (National Expressway 6) was built at a total project cost ranging between ₹4,200 crore and ₹4,700 crore.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) split the 63 km project into two major construction packages managed by PNC Infratech. Package 1 cost approximately ₹1,675 crore and Package 2 cost ₹1,724 crore.
Around ₹700 crore of the overall budget was specifically utilized to acquire land and compensate local farmers across 42 villages in Lucknow and Unnao.
The Central Government kickstarted the expedited construction by allocating an initial ₹1,935 crore during the 2022-2023 Union Budget.
The cost of this expressway is notably high per kilometer because it features premium, next-generation infrastructure:
- An 18 km elevated section to bypass heavily populated areas near Amausi and Shaheed Path in Lucknow.
- Advanced AI Technology, including India’s first barrier-less Multi-Lane Free Flow tolling system and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
- Structural assets including 3 major bridges, 28 minor bridges, 38 underpasses, and 6 flyovers.
Financial Debt
The financial debt for the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway project was secured from Axis Bank, which provided a debt of ₹1,556.60 crore to the project developer, PNC Infratech’s subsidiary, to achieve financial closure. Project Financing Details are as follows:
- Lender: Axis Bank
- Loan Amount: ₹1,556.60 crore
- Borrower: Kanpur Lucknow Expressway Private Limited (subsidiary of PNC Infratech)
- Project Model: Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under Bharatmala Pariyojana, backed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
