Video: Fans used to dry bitumen on cracked Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway
What's the story
Industrial fans and exhaust blowers were deployed by infrastructure major PNC Infratech on a damaged stretch of the newly opened ₹4200-crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway to dry freshly laid bitumen. The decision was taken to dry freshly laid bitumen as monsoon showers continued to disrupt repairs. Cracks had appeared on the expressway just days after it was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on July 13.
Damage details
Over 80 locations need repairs
The expressway has seen nine instances of road distress in just 22 days, with over 80 locations needing repairs.
NHAI records indicate 84 distress points have been identified so far, 39 on the Lucknow-bound carriageway and 45 on the Kanpur-bound side.
Some areas required patchwork while others needed complete reconstruction after pavement failure.
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🚨 Industrial 'fans' were used to dry the damaged stretch of the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway before reconstruction. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/xVBNpbkurI
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) August 7, 2026
Incident and scrutiny
Truck sank into damaged road
The most serious incident occurred on July 30, when a truck carrying gravel sank into the damaged carriageway. NHAI had to excavate nearly 1,000 square feet of pavement to a depth of about two feet and rebuild the affected section.
However, new cracks appeared soon after repairs were completed.
The unusual repair method attracted attention after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav shared videos of fans and exhausts on X, questioning construction quality and repair methods during monsoon season.
Disciplinary measures
NHAI takes strict action against PNC Infratech
In response to the issues, NHAI has started disciplinary proceedings against PNC Infratech, the concessionaire.
The authority removed key project officials and suspended toll collection until repairs were completed.
NHAI chief general manager and regional officer of UP Gautam Vishal said PNC Infratech was asked to carry out repairs with high-quality materials at their own cost.
Vishal said, "PNC Infratech has been told to repair the expressway...at their own cost. NHAI is not going to pay anything to them."
Proposed penalties
PNC Infratech was earlier barred from bidding for NHAI projects
NHAI has also proposed to declare PNC Infratech a non-performer, making it ineligible to participate in bidding for future NHAI projects.
A show-cause notice was issued proposing a penalty of 2% of performance security and debarment proceedings against responsible staff.
However, around the same time the first cracks appeared, company disclosure showed PNC Infratech signed concession agreements with NHAI on July 16 for two Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) highway projects with a combined bid project cost of around ₹3,483 crore.