PNC Infratech hit by NHAI action after Kanpur‑Lucknow Expressway collapse

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued a showcause notice to PNC Infratech Ltd over repeated subsidence on the newly opened Kanpur‑Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. The notice proposes penalties of 2% of the performance security, possible de‑barment of senior technical staff for up to three years, and a downgrade of the concessionaire’s Pavement Condition Index. NHAI also suspended toll collection until repairs are completed and ordered the contractor to bear repair costs estimated at around ₹3 crore.

PNC Infratech clarified that it has not been debarred and that the damage affects less than 0.5% of the 63‑km route. The company said it has already repaired most of the affected 300‑metre stretch and that traffic continues to move smoothly. Despite the controversy, PNC Infratech secured new highway contracts worth ₹3,483 crore for two NH‑927 packages in the same state.

The expressway, billed as India’s first “barrier‑less” highway, opened only weeks before the first collapse was reported near Unnao, prompting heightened scrutiny of the project’s construction and maintenance standards.