Built Just Months Ago, Portion of Ganga Expressway Link Road Washes Away in UP's Unnao

The first spell of the monsoon has exposed what many are calling an embarrassing setback for one of Uttar Pradesh's flagship infrastructure projects. Barely two months after the inauguration of the Ganga Expressway , a portion of the link road connecting the Kanpur Lucknow National Highway to the expressway in Unnao caved in after rainwater washed away the soil beneath it, raising fresh concerns over construction quality and long term durability.

The incident occurred near Bashiratganj in the Sonik area , where nearly seven metres of the newly built link road collapsed following heavy rainfall. While repair work was initiated soon after the damage was noticed, the incident has sparked debate over how infrastructure expected to serve the public for decades could suffer visible damage during its very first monsoon season.

Residents alleged that the road was constructed without adequate slope protection and soil retention measures , making it vulnerable to erosion. According to locals, concerns regarding the stability of the road had been raised while the project was still under construction, but those warnings were allegedly ignored. The collapse, they say, has only reinforced fears that quality standards may have been compromised.

The controversy deepened after locals claimed that journalists visiting the site to photograph the damaged stretch were allegedly stopped by personnel associated with the executing agency, who reportedly said photography on the expressway was not permitted. Although there has been no official response to these allegations, they have further intensified public scrutiny.

This is not the first time concerns have surfaced around the project. Officials acknowledged that road subsidence, soil erosion and damaged railings had been reported earlier on the Sonik service lane and parts of the main carriageway , even before the expressway became operational.

Sadar Sub Divisional Magistrate Kshitij Dwivedi said the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) and that any inquiry or further action would have to be initiated by the authority.

In its statement, UPEIDA maintained that a minor crack measuring around 10 metres was detected during routine route patrolling on July 3 on the left edge of Loop 3 of the interchange. According to the authority, repair work was carried out immediately and completed the same day.

The 594 kilometre Ganga Expressway , inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29 , stretches from Meerut to Prayagraj through 12 districts and is among Uttar Pradesh's most ambitious connectivity projects. However, the latest incident has shifted attention from the project's scale to an equally important question: whether the quality of construction matches the promises made. As the monsoon intensifies, the expressway's performance will remain under close public and official scrutiny.