Authority to build elevated road to decongest Sector 18

The Noida authority on Tuesday said that it has decided to build a 600-metre elevated road to connect Sector 18 -- the city’s busiest commercial hub -- with Master Plan-II Road in front of The Greater India Place (TGIP) Mall.

The Noida authority on Tuesday said that it has decided to build a 600-metre elevated road to connect Sector 18 — the city’s busiest commercial hub — with Master Plan-II Road in front of The Greater India Place (TGIP) Mall.

The new elevated road will provide an alternative route for commuters, who usually get stuck at the U-turn near the Sector 18 underpass while going towards The Great India Place. (Burhaan Kinu/HT)

The move is aimed at decongesting Sector 18 and roads around the newly opened the Mall of India. Ever since the mall was opened in April, the roads around it are frequently jammed, and matters worsen on weekends.

“The Noida authority has given approval in principle to construct an eight-metre wide and 600-metre long elevated road to reduce traffic congestion at Sector 18 and on two roads next to the Mall of India. We have started our work on the feasibility study of this project,” SC Mishra, project engineer of the Noida authority, said.

The new elevated road will provide an alternative route for commuters, who usually get stuck at the U-turn near the Sector 18 underpass while going towards TGIP.

As per the Noida authority, a 54,000 square metre open area in Sector 18 is authorised for parking use and 4, 000 vehicles can be parked there. Over 10,000 visitors throng Sector 18 daily, as per an estimate by Sector 18 traders’ welfare association.

“Visitors face inconvenience at the Sector 18 market because of the parking chaos and traffic mess that is a result of the faulty planning of the Noida authority. I doubt if the new elevated road will address the traffic congestion that has been increasing after the Mall of India opened,” Yogendra Singh, member of Sector 18 traders’ welfare association, said.

A group of Noida authority officials, however, were against the elevated road plan before it got a green signal.

“I advised to open a road already built along the Shahadra drain next to the Mall of India to ease traffic on the Master Plan-II Road. That road is closed as of now. The elevated road will only shift the congestion around Sector 18 to the other side of the Master Plan-II Road,” a senior Noida authority official said.