Even as India continues to expand its expressway network at a rapid pace, the first spell of monsoon has exposed damage on several newly built highways, triggering fresh scrutiny over construction quality, drainage planning and long-term durability.
Over the past few weeks, videos showing potholes, road cave-ins and waterlogged stretches on recently opened expressways have circulated widely on social media. The latest concerns have centred on the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, where potholes appeared within months of inauguration, while commuters have also flagged damaged stretches on parts of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway after heavy rainfall.
Delhi-Dehradun corridor under spotlight after road damage
The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor developed at a cost of over ₹12,000 crore, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April this year, has drawn particular attention after potholes reportedly damaged vehicles near Kheda Mastan village in Muzaffarnagar. PM Modi hailed it a “world-class infrastructure project that will deepen connectivity, boost the economy and tourism”.
Following the incident, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) ordered an independent technical audit of the corridor.
However, NHAI has maintained that an earlier road surface cave-in reported on July 1 was not due to construction failure but was caused by localized water stagnation and delays in commissioning the permanent cross-drainage system.
According to the authority, the balancing culvert at the affected location could not be connected because local residents did not permit integration of the drainage system and instead used the culvert opening as a vehicular crossing. It also said permanent slope protection and chute drain works remain pending because of an ongoing land-related arbitration dispute, according to PIB release.
To mitigate the problem, NHAI said it has started constructing an interim 1.5-km parallel drain and is redesigning the drainage gradient until the permanent cross-drainage system becomes operational.
Highway expansion meets monsoon test
The recent incidents have once again highlighted the challenge of ensuring that newly built highways remain resilient during extreme weather conditions. Experts have long maintained that apart from pavement quality, drainage infrastructure, slope protection and timely completion of ancillary civil works are equally critical to the long-term performance of highways.
The issue has also renewed attention on whether rapid expansion of India’s expressway network should be matched by stronger quality monitoring and post-construction inspections, particularly before the onset of the monsoon.
NHAI has reiterated that it follows a zero-tolerance approach towards construction quality and said continuous monitoring, preventive maintenance and prompt response to weather-related incidents remain part of its asset management framework. Repair work is underway at the affected stretches, while the technical audit is expected to determine whether any construction deficiencies require corrective action.
This comes at a time when the government continues to showcase the country’s rapidly expanding highway network as a key pillar of infrastructure development, with several flagship expressway projects inaugurated over the past few years to improve connectivity and reduce travel time across regions.