The repair work on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway is underway after a section of the road subsided near the kilometre-marker 64 in Unnao. To prevent moisture and rainwater from delaying the restoration, the construction agency has installed 10 large industrial fans to dry out the road surface and speed up repair work.
The road cave-in, which occurred 22 days after the expressway was inaugurated, has raised concerns over the quality of construction and prompted action from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield National Elevated Expressway, built at a cost of around Rs 4,200 crore, was inaugurated on July 13 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
लखनऊ–कानपुर एक्सप्रेस वे पर पेच वर्क के पास भरे बरसाती पानी को सुखाने के लिए 10 पंखे लगाए गए#LucknowKanpurExpressway pic.twitter.com/5OX3sKxQ3w
— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) August 6, 2026
Why were industrial fans installed?
According to the construction agency, the fans are being used to quickly dry the repaired stretch so that patchwork is not affected by rain or moisture. According to the agency, the measure is expected to accelerate repairs and help restore normal traffic on the affected section at the earliest.
Road subsidence triggers questions over construction quality
The road subsidence near kilometre marker 64 has put the quality of the newly inaugurated expressway under scrutiny. Motorists had been reporting jerks at several spots on the expressway since it opened, and other technical issues had also begun to surface.
NHAI initiates action
Following the incident, the NHAI has initiated action against the concerned officials and the construction agency. An inquiry into the quality of construction and the execution of the project is also underway to determine the cause of the road subsidence and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Political row over repair work
The issue has also triggered a political controversy. On August 6, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video showing the repair work and the industrial fans installed at the site, questioning why a newly inaugurated expressway required repairs within weeks of opening. He also criticised the quality of construction and the use of fans during the restoration work.
ये है भाजपाई तरक़्क़ी की नई हवा… कुछ दिनों पहले ही जिसका उद्घाटन हुआ हो उस सड़क को मरम्मत की ज़रूरत पड़ गई और एक्सप्रेस स्पीड से मरम्मत को सुखाने के लिए पंखे का इस्तेमाल किया जा रहा है ये भी हास्यास्पद है। 2-3 हफ़्ते में ही जिस एक्सप्रेसवे का दम उखड़ने लगा है उस पर चलने का जोखिम… pic.twitter.com/zfoydUzRAL
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 6, 2026
"This is the new wind of BJP-style progress... A road that was inaugurated just a few days ago already needs repairs, and fans are being used at express speed to dry the repairs—this too is laughable. Every construction done under BJP rule runs less... and collapses, caves in, and falls more," he wrote on X.
The issue first came to light on July 27, when cracks were reported on the Lucknow-Kanpur Elevated Expressway after rainfall, less than two weeks after its inauguration. Samajwadi Party leader Madhusudan Yadav shared a video from near Korari village, claiming that a five-to-seven-metre stretch of the road had caved in.
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