First Kanpur-Lucknow, Now Ganga Expressway Sinks Too: What’s Going Wrong? | Lucknow-news News
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A crack has appeared near an expansion joint on the newly opened Ganga Expressway in Unnao. Find out what officials found during the inspection
The affected section is in the Dahi area of Unnao, near the Sarai Katian Canal Bridge in Bashiratganj. (X/@ysatyandra
)
UP News Today: Questions over the quality and maintenance of Uttar Pradesh’s expressways have resurfaced after a crack appeared near an expansion joint on the Ganga Expressway in Unnao.
Images showing the damaged section near an expansion joint have circulated on social media, prompting concerns about the condition of the newly opened expressway. After the issue came to light, a team from the agency responsible for construction and maintenance reached the site and began repair work.
The affected section is in the Dahi area of Unnao, near the Sarai Katian Canal Bridge in Bashiratganj. The crack was reported between kilometre numbers 421 and 422 on the expressway.
Repair Work Completed At The Affected Section
After receiving information about the damage, the construction and maintenance team inspected the expansion joint and carried out repair work.
Officials repaired the affected portion by re-overlapping the section around the expansion joint. The repair work at the location has now been completed.
अब गंगा एक्सप्रेसवे धंस गया!बाकी सब ठीक है….मेरठ से प्रयागराज को जाने वाली लेन में किलोमीटर संख्या 421 के पास में गड्ढा बन गया है। गड्ढा बड़ा है जिसे भरने की कोशिश की जा रही है। 29 अप्रैल को ही इस एक्सप्रेसवे का उद्घाटन किया गया था। pic.twitter.com/rN5qSXUckb— SKY (@ysatyandra) August 17, 2026
However, the inspection also revealed other issues along the stretch.
Broken Drains Found During Inspection
Several damaged drains were reportedly found along the slope of the expressway during the inspection. The damaged drainage structures could create problems for the flow of rainwater, particularly during heavy rainfall. Repair work on these drains is currently underway.
The discovery has added to concerns about the maintenance of the expressway and whether drainage-related issues could affect the road surface over time.
Samajwadi Party Targets UP Government
The incident has also triggered a political response. The Samajwadi Party criticised the state government on social media platform X after reports of the crack emerged. The party claimed that another expressway had joined the list of roads facing structural problems and questioned the quality of construction.
The party also alleged corruption in the construction of the state’s expressways.
However, the exact technical reason for the crack near the expansion joint has not yet been established. A detailed investigation would be required to determine whether the damage was caused by a structural, construction, drainage or maintenance-related issue.
Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway Also Faces Problems
The development on the Ganga Expressway comes amid recent concerns over the condition of the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway. On Tuesday, around 10 metres of road reportedly caved in again on the expressway. A portion that had previously been repaired also deteriorated.
As a precautionary measure, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) restricted the movement of heavy vehicles on the affected stretch. The damaged area was barricaded, the road surface was removed and repair work was started again.
Tar has also reportedly peeled off at several locations between kilometre numbers 32.8 and 33.1 on the Kanpur-Lucknow side. At kilometre 33.5, around 150 metres of the road surface was reported to have been damaged.
At kilometre 63.9 near Fatehpur, patchwork carried out after a road collapse on Saturday was reportedly damaged again on Tuesday.
Ganga Expressway Opened In April
The latest incident has attracted particular attention because the Ganga Expressway was inaugurated on April 29.
A pothole has reportedly formed near kilometre 421 in the Meerut-to-Prayagraj lane, close to the location where the crack was reported. The pothole is described as being large, with repair work underway to fill it.
With repair teams now working on the affected sections, the technical cause of the damage and the condition of the surrounding road infrastructure are likely to come under scrutiny.
The latest incident has once again raised questions about the construction quality, drainage arrangements and maintenance of Uttar Pradesh’s major expressways.
Quick Answers
Ask News18A crack appeared near an expansion joint on the Ganga Expressway in Unnao, and a pothole also formed near kilometre 421 in the Meerut-to-Prayagraj lane.
Ask News18August 17, 2026, 16:00 IST
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