New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- The cracks began to appear within weeks. In mid-July, the 63-kilometre, six-lane Kanpur-Lucknow expressway, built at a cost of Rs.4,200 crore, had opened with much fanfare. Inaugurated by a glittering cast of political leaders, including Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, it was expected to cut travel time between the two cities from 2-3 hours to 30-40 minutes.

By early August though, dozens of potholes pockmarked the expressway, forcing The national highways authority of India (NHAI) to partially close it for repairs. For commuters, the promise of a seamless drive across vast fields quickly faded as the highway turned into a makeshift repair site.

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