₹77,000 Crore of Public Tax Down the Drain or Major Corruption? Why Did These 4 Mega Expressways of UP Collapse!
Uttar Pradesh has opened four major expressways in recent years. All four shared one pattern: after inauguration, the first rain raised questions about construction quality. Below is the full account for each expressway: who commissioned it, who built it, what it cost, and what happened when.
1. Purvanchal Expressway
- Commissioned by: The Uttar Pradesh government, through UPEIDA.
- Built by: 5 companies across 8 packages. Gayatri Projects (Packages 1-2), Apco Infratech (3), GR Infraprojects (4 and 7), PNC Infratech (5-6) and Oriental Structural Engineers (8).
- Cost: About ₹22,494 crore (including land).
- What happened: It was inaugurated on 16 November 2021. In October 2022, about 10 months later, heavy rain caused the road to collapse near Haliyapur in Sultanpur. A pit about 15 feet deep formed and 4 people in a car were injured. According to the district administration, most repairs were done by the next morning.
Sources: UPEIDA, Deccan Herald/PTI, Construction World
2. Bundelkhand Expressway
- Commissioned by: The Uttar Pradesh government (UPEIDA).
- Built by: The 296-km expressway was built by 4 companies in 6 packages. Apco Infratech (Packages 1-2), Ashoka Buildcon (3), Gawar Construction (4-5) and Dilip Buildcon (6).
- Cost: About ₹14,850 crore.
- What happened: It was inaugurated on 16 July 2022. Five days later, on 21 July, rain created potholes about 1.5 feet deep at Chhiriya Salempur in Jalaun. According to a UPEIDA spokesperson, they were filled immediately. The opposition attacked sharply.
- Later: In July 2026, UPEIDA awarded B.R. Goyal Infrastructure a two-year, ₹377.54 crore contract for toll collection and toll plaza maintenance. This is a toll-operations contract, not a construction one.
Sources: The Quint, Scroll, PM’s Office statement, Daily Pioneer, ScanX
3. Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway
- Commissioned by: This is a central government project, built under NHAI’s supervision.
- Built by: Package-2 (km 28.5 to 73.7) was built by Awadh Expressway Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of PNC Infratech, with a bid cost of ₹1,513 crore.
- Cost: The entire 63-km expressway cost about ₹4,200 crore.
- What happened: It was inaugurated on 13 July 2026. On 26 July, about 300 metres near km 64 in Unnao slipped. NHAI described it as slippage of the surface layer, while the opposition called it a cave-in.
- Action taken: NHAI suspended toll collection and issued a notice to the contractor. A 2% penalty on the performance security was proposed. NHAI said it would recover the lost toll revenue from the contractor, estimated at about ₹42 lakh per day. On 3 and 11 September 2026, a 3-year bidding ban was imposed on PNC and its subsidiary. In October, the Delhi High Court stayed it, with the next hearing on 26 November. The company says the project had already received a provisional completion certificate on 1 October 2025 and a final one on 2 February 2026.
Sources: NHAI/PIB, Business Today, Business Standard, Construction World, PNC Infratech stock exchange filings
4. Ganga Expressway
- Commissioned by: The Uttar Pradesh government (UPEIDA), on a 30-year concession model.
- Built by: Of the 594 km, about 464 km was built by Adani Enterprises and about 130 km, from Meerut to Badaun, by IRB Infrastructure.
- Cost: About ₹36,230 crore.
- What happened: It was inaugurated on 29 April 2026. In early July, a link road in Unnao caved in after the first rain. On 17 August, roadside soil washed away over about 200 metres at km 421, and it was repaired in 2 days. On 1 September, a pit about 7 feet deep appeared near the Basiratganj toll plaza. Road damage was also reported in Amroha.
- Action taken: UPEIDA described the damage as minor and had it repaired. The opposition, including the Samajwadi Party, demanded an inquiry. So far, no major legal action against any company has been reported.
Sources: PTI/ThePrint, India Today, National Herald, Swarajya, UPEIDA statement
At a Glance
| Expressway | Cost | First failure | Overseen by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purvanchal | ₹22,494 crore | 10 months later | UP government (UPEIDA) |
| Bundelkhand | ₹14,850 crore | 5 days later | UP government (UPEIDA) |
| Lucknow-Kanpur | ₹4,200 crore | 13 days later | Centre (NHAI) |
| Ganga | ₹36,230 crore | About 2 months later | UP government (UPEIDA) |
The Takeaway
Action differed in all four cases. In some it stopped at repairs and political statements, while on Lucknow-Kanpur it went as far as a bidding ban, which is currently stalled in court. The first rain proved to be the real test of construction again and again, which is why accountability for drainage, soil quality and independent inspection needs to be fixed.
