The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that toll collection on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway will remain suspended until the restoration work is fully completed. Toll collection has been temporarily suspended on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway due to several cracks and damage that appeared just weeks after it was opened to traffic. NHAI said that the loss of toll revenue will be recovered from the concessionaire. “NHAI remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and accountability in the development and maintenance of the National Highway infrastructure,” it said in a release.
According to information shared, traffic has been diverted at the affected location and vehicular movement is continuing smoothly.
Strict action against concessionaire
The NHAI has initiated strict action against the concessionaire, the independent engineer, and the concerned officials in connection with the Kanpur–Lucknow Expressway. Immediate corrective measures have also been launched to restore the affected section at the earliest and further strengthen the quality assurance mechanism.
Pavement slip observed
On July 26, 2026, a pavement slip (subsidence) was observed near Km 64 of the expressway. Following this, restoration work was initiated, and NHAI directed a comprehensive technical investigation of the affected site. Simultaneously, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against all responsible parties for deficiencies identified in the project’s execution and supervision.
NHAI said it had issued a notice proposing to declare the 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 Rs 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 that charge sheets were being issued against him and the 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.
How much is the toll?
The one-way toll for this expressway is Rs 275, while the toll for travelling on the highway is only Rs 95. If you return within 24 hours, you will have to pay Rs 415 in total for both trips.
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