NHAI bars PNC Infratech from future bids after expressway damage, suspends tolls

The National Highways Authority of India labeled PNC Infratech a non-performer and imposed a penalty, rating downgrade and a mandate to repair the damaged portion of the 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway at its own cost, with tolls suspended until the work is finished. Earlier debarments of the contractor’s project manager, two private consultants and the independent firm Theme Engineering Services have been expanded to include additional PNC staff linked to pavement and design, preventing them from bidding on future highway projects.

NHAI also served charge sheets to the sitting director Nakul Verma and former director Saurabh Chaurasia of the Lucknow implementation unit, who will be reassigned to the ministry, while Nav Ratan will assume the director role. Following a July 27 surface slippage incident, an expert panel headed by IIT Kharagpur professor KS Reddy will probe the cause, which appears to involve moisture percolation through insufficient drainage and oxidation of the unused pavement.

The authority will deploy laser profilometer equipment to assess pavement conditions, and traffic diversions are expected to remain in place longer than initially planned. Repair estimates run into hundreds of crores, with the damaged 125-km stretch potentially requiring complete resurfacing.