Noida Expressway to get two more underpasses

The Noida authority has decided to expedite the work to build two new underpasses on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in a bid to ease traffic congestion faced by the commuters while crossing to the other side, said officials on Sunday.

The authority has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) that is about to get finalised in the next couple of days and then it will be sent to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee (Uttarakhand) for technical and financial vetting. Thereafter, the authority will issue a tender to finalise the agency that will start work at the ground, they added.

“We have expedited the work on these two underpass projects and the detailed project report is in its final stages. As and when the IIT Roorkee will give its nod the authority will take the project to the next stage,” said Vijay Rawal, general manager, Noida authority.

Officials said that in next 10 days the authority will send the DPR to IIT Roorkee. The IIT Roorkee, roped in by the authority as a consultant, does vetting of big projects and then the projects are executed, said officials.

The authority will build one underpass just next to Jhatta village between sector 145/146 and sector 155/159 so that the commuters travelling between two sides can commute with ease.

The authority will spend ₹87 crore on this underpass that is set to benefit the multinational companies and residents who are shifting into newly built group housing complexes in these areas. Work has been expedited on this underpass since the construction work on recently allotted industrial plots has been started and soon workers will start working in these factories, and the offices are likely to turn operational in one to two years.

Another underpass, to be built at a cost of ₹93 crore near Sultanpur village between sector 128/129 and sector 132 and 108, will offer relief to commuters travelling from Jaypee Wishtown side to 108, where the police commissioner office is located, said officials.

“The sector 128, 129, 130, 131 and 132 have started witnessing rise in population and vehicular pressure in this pocket. As of now a narrow bridge in this area on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway witnesses traffic snarls daily and the situation becomes bad to worse during peak hours. It is high time, the authority should build underpasses without further delay,” said Umesh Kumar, a resident of Sector 167 and a regular commuter.

The authority officials said that it will take at least 18 months to complete the work on these two projects from the day work begins at the site.

The Noida authority has already built three underpasses in the past on the expressway to address the traffic congestion problem, and also decongest the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. But these three functional underpasses are inadequate, said commuters.

In 2012, the authority planned to build five underpasses of which three are currently operational.