Yamuna Expressway update

The six-lane Yamuna Expressway would be open only to traffic going straight to Agra by December. Though the toll charge is likely to be notified a month before the stretch is opened for traffic, sources said it could cost between Rs 210 and Rs 220 per trip for cars. Though crossing the 165-km expressway will take not more than two hours, commuters from Delhi would spend more time to reach the takeoff point of the expressway, which is just before Greater Noida. Similarly, since the expressway joins the NH-2 about 10km before the Taj Mahal, it would take at least half-an-hour for visitors to reach the tourist site. “We have a temporary plan to join the expressway with NH-2 at grid. The interchange work at this spot is under way. This will improve the traffic flow later,” said a senior official associated with this project. He added the UP government has already notified its toll policy for expressways in the state, which is in conformity with the NHAI norms. Officials said the average toll charge per kilometre could come to Rs 1.25, which is less than what car users pay for using the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. There, per kilometer user charge comes close to Rs 1.50. UP government officials said though the private developer of this Rs 11,000 crore project, Jaypee, has the target of making it operational by October this year, in all probability the stretch will be ready for traffic movement by December. “Since the work on interchanges will take more time to complete, but no exits will be allowed during the stretch initially. At a later stage, this road will be used by traffic travelling from point to point,” the official said. He added that 79% of the work was complete and work on five toll plazas and clover-leaves is under progress. Officials said the developer wants to open the road by October-end when Greater Noida hosts the Formula One Championship. “At least 40,000 foreign visitors are expected to be in Greater Noida during the competition and the developer expects most them would like to use the new expressway to visit the Taj Mahal. Initially, the road is likely to be used by 30,000 passenger cars and the developer expects the number to grow subsequently,” said the official. Sources said the expressway has the design speed of 120kmph, but the speed limit would be 100kmph. Interestingly, UP government has not notified the speed limit on any of its roads unlike several other states. And, unlike other expressways, the 165-km expressway allows plying of two-wheelers and all other registered vehicles. However, to address safety concerns, the developer will get CCTV cameras fixed at an interval of every 3-4 kilometres. Sources said the developer has already started procuring about a dozen mobile radars to monitor speeding. “There will be one highway patrol for every 25km, besides exclusive fire brigades. This will be the first road in the country to have video incidental detection system (VIDS) for detection of mishaps and violation of traffic norms,” said a source.