The latest damage comes nearly a month after the first major failures were reported on July 26, putting a question mark over the expressway’s much-publicised claims of world-class construction. The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway is facing another serious setback, with fresh soil erosion beneath the carriageway raising the risk of a major road collapse near Bandukheda.
A large cavity is now visible directly beneath the pavement, while a portion of the road has also tilted slightly. Continued rainfall could worsen the erosion and potentially cause a substantial section of the carriageway to sink. On the Kanpur-Lucknow carriageway at Km 69.8 near Bandukheda village, soil beneath the road shoulder has been washed away over a stretch of nearly 10 metres, extending about 10 feet inward beneath the road. The repeated erosion, sinking and patchwork repairs since July 26 have raised fresh questions over the quality of drainage, embankment protection and construction of the expressway, particularly as several vulnerable stretches continue to show signs of distress during the monsoon.
