Bridge across Hindon: Work to restart after two years
Officials have said that if all goes according to plan, both authorities will purchase the required land within the next two to three months, and construction work will commence at the site
The Noida and Greater Noida authorities are poised to recommence work on a bridge across the Hindon River in order to enhance connectivity between the twin industrial cities, according to officials on Friday.
The authorities are expected to resume construction after a two-year hiatus caused by land-related issues. Farmers had previously declined to provide the necessary land for the approach road, citing insufficient compensation. However, officials now state that farmers in both cities have agreed to contribute their land to the road project.
“We will soon begin work on the approach road as the farmers have consented to provide the land for the project. The issue concerning land compensation has been resolved,” stated Ritu Maheshwari, the chief executive officer of the Noida and Greater Noida authorities.
To meet the demands of the farmers, the Noida authority has increased the land compensation from ₹3,500 per square metre to ₹5,300 per square metre. Consequently, the farmers of Badoli village are now prepared to offer their land for the construction of the approach road. The bridge project across the Hindon River was nearly completed when it was abruptly halted at the end of 2020 due to land-related problems, according to officials.
Officials have said that the Noida authority needs to acquire 18,000 square metres of land, while Greater Noida requires 12,000 square metres of land in order to complete the approach road that connects the two cities via an alternate route. The Noida authority has increased the land compensation rate from ₹3,500 per square metre to ₹5,300 per square metre for the approach road acquisition, while the Greater Noida authority has raised their rates from ₹3,900 per square metre to ₹4,200 per square metre.
Officials have said that if all goes according to plan, both authorities will purchase the required land within the next two to three months, and construction work will commence at the site.
The project’s estimated cost was approximately ₹65 crore, with the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority and the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority sharing the expenses equally. Work on the project was initiated in January 2020.
The road will pass through Sectors 145 and 146 in Noida and connect Knowledge Park III on the other side of the Hindon River in Greater Noida. Both authorities have developed four-lane roads up to the two ends. However, the 2.5-km bridge and the corresponding approach road remain unfinished, rendering the project incomplete.
The Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Limited was awarded the contract for the project, which involves constructing a 210-metre-long bridge. Although the bridge’s span was erected in February 2021, it could not be connected due to the absence of approach roads on both ends.
Once completed, the bridge will alleviate the need for commuters heading towards LG Chowk and Surajpur to traverse the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway up to Pari Chowk. This will reduce travel distance by at least 10 kilometres and ease congestion around Pari Chowk. The two authorities had agreed to pay ₹62 crore for the bridge’s construction, with the remaining funds allocated for the approach roads.
