Installation of crash barriers on Yamuna E-way: Agency to be hired on Jan 27

GREATER NOIDA: The Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL), operator of the Yamuna Expressway, is likely to finalise an agency on January 27 for the installation work of crash barriers on the two sides of divider on the 165km expressway

GREATER NOIDA: The Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL), operator of the Yamuna Expressway, is likely to finalise an agency on January 27 for the installation work of crash barriers on the two sides of divider on the 165km expressway. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida), the monitoring agency, on Thursday said it will make sure that the work on the ₹75 crore project starts at the earliest as the crash barrier will help in providing safety to commuters on the expressway.

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In December last year, JIL had issued a tender inviting bids for the project.

“We have directed JIL to start installation of the crash barrier in February after selection of an agency on January 27. We do not want this to be delayed because providing the safety to motorists is of utmost priority,” said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer, Yeida.

Yeida had, in August 2018, hired Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for conducting the safety audit of the expressway that passes through six districts of Uttar Pradesh that include Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mahtura, Hathras, Agra and Bulandshahr. In March 2019, IIT-Delhi had submitted its initial report suggesting several measures.

“We have already implemented the 80% recommendations made by the IIT-Delhi. Under the remaining 20% safety measures, we need to install crash barriers, increase the number of high definition cameras and some other steps. These steps will be taken up at the earliest,” said Santosh Panwar, a JIL spokesperson.

The expressway operator will spend ₹75 crore on crash barrier installation and ₹2 crore on installation of cameras at 20 more locations, the officials said. So far, JIL has installed CCTV cameras at 10 locations.

In case of an accident, the crash barrier stops a vehicle from going to other side, preventing multiple accidents, said the Yeida officials.

Following criticism from the Supreme Court on a petition seeking motorists’ safety on the expressway in early 2018, the Uttar Pradesh government had directed officials concerned to beef up enforcement to contain speeding and other traffic violations to check the incidents of accidents.

“We are taking adequate steps to provide safety and working to implement suggestions of the safety audit,” said Panwar.

The seven points suggested (by IIT Delhi) in the draft report are additional signage (distance bar markings) before the exit ramps, remove lane system, installation of rumble strips at the entry and exit ramps, installation of crash attenuators at the exit ramps, audible shoulder marking throughout the corridor, remove all sign posts from the shoulder, shoulder guard rail to be reinstalled as per the standard specifications and replacement of raised median (divider) with flush median and central guard rail as per the standard.