Ready to open: E-way to Agra

When Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurates the Greater Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway on Thursday, the region — which attracted global fame for hosting India's maiden Formula 1 race last year — will add another feather to its cap. The 165-km six-lane, access-controlled, elevated expressway will be the only link of its kind in the country.

When Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurates the Greater Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway on Thursday, the region — which attracted global fame for hosting India's maiden Formula 1 race last year — will add another feather to its cap. The 165-km six-lane, access-controlled, elevated expressway will be the only link of its kind in the country.

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The distance between Agra and Delhi will be reduced to around 211 km. The travel time between the two cities will be only 150 minutes because of the signal-free stretch.

Noida residents will take 120 minutes to reach Agra, while the travel time will be a mere 90 minutes from Greater Noida.

Through the existing parallel link — National Highway number 2 — the distance between Agra and Delhi is 253 km and a car takes a minimum of 210 minutes to travel the distance. Because of perennial traffic jams on the stretch, commuters face long delays.

Heavy vehicles, however, will not be allowed to enter the expressway from 9am to 9pm till November.

The attraction is not only the promise of a swift drive. The authorities are hoping the expressway will help boost tourism and the industrial and housing scene of the region.

"Initially, we expect around 30% jump in the number of tourists in two months. We will also repackage our tourist locations to attract visitors," said Abhilash Sharma, regional director of UP Tourism in Noida.

At five locations along the expressway, Jaypee Infratech — the firm that has built the facility — will develop integrated townships. The state government has already acquired land and allotted 21,000 plots off the expressway to individual allottees. "Major real estate players are building lakhs of flats in the area," said RK Arora of realty firm Supertech.

The project is also expected to open up a whole new vista for industrial growth. The additional chief executive officer of the Yamuna Expressway authority, Harish Verma, said, "We're identifying areas along the expressway where industries can be best set up. The stretch has great chances of attracting foreign investments."

The project was planned in 2003 when Mayawati was the chief minister. But when Mulayam Singh took over, he ordered an inquiry and the project was delayed.

Fresh delays marred the project when Mayawati again became CM in 2007 due to three major farmer agitations at Tappal (Aligarh), Ghodi Bachheda and Bhatta-Parsaul (both in Greater Noida).

These agitations witnessed 14 deaths and assumed political overtones because of the involvement of several leaders, including Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

The project was supposed to be inaugurated in December 2011. But because of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and some incomplete works, the opening got delayed.