The Noida Authority has given an in-principle approval to the second expressway between Noida and Greater Noida in its board meeting last week after extensive discussions on its need, design and alignment.
The expressway, which will run along River Yamuna will serve as a bypass between Noida and Greater Noida. Currently, two design options are being considered, which includes an eight-lane ground-level expressway and a six-lane elevated road.
Why is there an urgency for second expressway?
According to the officials, the planning for an alternative route for traffic between the two cities bypassing the 25km Noida Expressway has been on the drawing board for some time. With the upcoming Noida International Airport that will open this year, the traffic is expected to witness a rapid rise on the existing expressway, thus the authorities have decided to build an alternative way to divert the traffic, The Times of India reported.
Traffic on the Noida Expressway has also surged due to growing residential, commercial, and industrial development. Morning and evening rush hours are particularly problematic. If not addressed, the expressway could face the same congestion issues as the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway.
Authorities want to involve NHAI
Noida is also keen to bring in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the new expressway but that will also mean designating the road as a national highway. In the March 28 board meeting, chief secretary and board chair Manoj Kumar Singh suggested if the NHAI plan does not materialise, Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities should take the initiative to build the road.
The Noida expressway bypass was first proposed in Nov 2023. Noida Authority wanted NHAI to take up construction, but the latter had at that point expressed its inability to construct the road.
What to expect from the expressway?
The proposed new expressway will extend from Okhla barrage to the Yamuna Expressway via the Hindon-Yamuna doab. The alignment will take into consideration existing road infrastructure along the Yamuna marginal bund, an area which is currently within the jurisdiction of the irrigation department.
A four-lane road already exists between Okhla barrage and an irrigation drain, covering an 11km stretch and running parallel to several key sectors. The Hindon-Yamuna doab bund road, another 14km stretch, runs parallel to additional sectors.
The new expressway will ensure planned entry and exit points, loops, and underpasses to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. Sector 168 has been identified as a crucial point for an interchange with the Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad (FNG) expressway, TOI quoted sources as saying. Similarly, at Sector 150, the new expressway will be linked to the main road between Sector 149A and Sector 150.
Noida Authority will need to conduct a comprehensive traffic survey and feasibility study before preparing a detailed project report (DPR). The DPR will finally decide whether the road will be a surface expressway or an elevated one.
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