Lucknow: Responding to viral videos showing repair work at multiple locations on the newly inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said the maintenance activities were being undertaken as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incidents.Facing criticism over alleged lapses in quality checks before the expressway’s inauguration, engineers and technical experts from NHAI’s UP East regional office said the private contractor responsible for the project had been directed to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the entire 63-km stretch.The first case involving defects in the road surface and top layers was reported on July 27 on the Kanpur-to-Lucknow carriageway near the Unnao entry point. Another patch, located around 22 km further along the same carriageway, was also undergoing repair and maintenance.According to NHAI officials, work on the second patch is part of routine maintenance aimed at preventing a recurrence of any mishap.“No defect or deterioration has been found in the base, structure or superstructure of the expressway during inspection. Only the top layer is being reviewed and repaired where required,” an NHAI official said.However, commuters remained apprehensive about recent developments.“The expressway was ready well before its inauguration. In fact, NHAI had said 98% of the work was completed by March 31, while the inauguration took place on July 13. Inspection, maintenance and repairs could have been carried out before the stretch was opened to traffic,” said Ramnarayan Kanaujiya, a resident of Purwa in Unnao.
