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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has suspended two officials and issued show cause notices following a road surface cave-in on the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway that gained attention after a video circulated online. NHAI attributed the incident to localized water stagnation caused by heavy rainfall and delays in commissioning a permanent drainage system. The damaged section has been repaired and reopened to traffic. The authority has also started constructing an interim drain and is monitoring the affected stretch while disciplinary action against the concerned officials and contractor is underway.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has suspended the team leader of the authority engineer and the project manager of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor after a video showing a road surface cave-in on the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway went viral. The authority has also issued show cause notices to the concerned project director, authority engineer and EPC contractor over the incident.
According to NHAI, the cave-in occurred earlier this week after localized water stagnation caused by overnight rainfall. The authority said the permanent cross-drainage system at the affected location could not be commissioned because of resistance from local residents, who did not allow the balancing culvert to be integrated and instead used the culvert opening as a vehicular crossing.
NHAI stated that it regretted the inconvenience caused to commuters due to the road surface cave-in following the rainfall. It added that restoration work was completed promptly and the affected stretch has been reopened for regular traffic movement.
The authority also said it took immediate corrective measures after the incident by starting the construction of an interim parallel drain. This temporary arrangement is intended to ensure safe disposal of rainwater until the permanent cross-drainage system becomes operational. The affected section is currently under continuous monitoring to maintain safe and uninterrupted traffic movement.
The Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, officially developed as the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor, is a 213-km, six-lane access-controlled highway built at a cost of more than INR 12,000 crore. The corridor was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year and connects Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It has reduced travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from more than six hours to around two-and-a-half hours.
The expressway is one of NHAI's key highway infrastructure projects aimed at improving regional connectivity and reducing travel time. Similar incidents involving road damage during the monsoon have previously prompted the authority to review construction quality, drainage systems and maintenance practices on newly developed highway corridors.
Source PTI
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