Delayed Hindon bridge project to be finished by 2026, 30% work completed

The Hindon bridge project, costing ₹65 crore, is jointly funded by the Noida and Greater Noida authorities

A bridge across Hindon river, aimed at providing additional connectivity between Noida and Greater Noida, is expected to be completed by 2026, the Noida authority said on Sunday. The project, currently 30% complete, will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities by 40 minutes and address traffic congestion on arterial roads, they added.

(Representative image) A bridge across Hindon in Greater Noida as of 2016. (HT Archive)

Once operational, the bridge will ease the commute for those heading towards LG Chowk and Surajpur, eliminating the need to traverse the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway up to Pari Chowk, officials said. This will cut the travel distance by at least 10 kilometres and reduce congestion around the busy Pari Chowk area, Noida authority officials added.

“We have directed the contractor to complete the work of this bridge at the earliest so that we can open it to provide relief to the commuters traveling between two cities. This bridge will help de-congest existing routes, including Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, as it will open up additional connectivity,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.

The bridge project, costing ₹65 crore, is jointly funded by the Noida and Greater Noida authorities, each contributing ₹62 crore for the bridge’s construction and additional funds for approach roads. The UP State Bridge Corporation Ltd. (UPSBCL) is the construction agency overseeing the project, officials added.

Initiated in March 2019, the project faced multiple delays due to land acquisition and financial challenges, causing it to miss the original September 2020 deadline. The work resumed in November 2023 after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, officials said. The delays primarily stemmed from prolonged negotiations over land compensation with farmers, whose lands were needed for the approach roads.

To resolve the issue, the Noida authority increased the compensation rate from ₹3,500 to ₹5,300 per square meter, while the Greater Noida authority raised their rates from ₹3,900 to ₹4,200 per square meter. Bheem Singh, a farmer leader from Badoli village, criticised the authorities for their indecision. “The authority took a long time in addressing the farmers’ land compensation issue. As a result, the work was halted for two years. If the authority had increased the compensation earlier, this project would have been completed by now,” Singh added.