The Greater Noida authority on Friday said it has approved a proposal to build a 4km elevated road from Sector 4 to the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. The road will start from the 130 Metre Wide Road in Sector 4, cross over Shahberi and Crossings Republik in Ghaziabad, and meet the expressway. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will construct the road, officials said.
The Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad development authorities are likely to bear the cost of this project, which has been budgeted for ₹400 crore, said Greater Noida authority officials.
“We have given in-principle approval for this 4km elevated road because traffic congestion in Noida Extension is set to rise. We have written to NHAI to build the 4km elevated road because it can seamlessly connect Greater Noida with the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. NHAI will prepare the detailed project report, and then the work will be taken to the next stage,” said Ravi Kumar NG, chief executive officer of the Greater Noida authority.
Officials said that another reason for involving NHAI in the project is that it can easily acquire the land required for the elevated road.
“NHAI can do a better job when it comes to acquire the land for the project in Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad because it has already done so for the Delhi-Meerut Expressway recently. NHAI will be in a better position to decide the land rates,” said a Greater Noida authority official aware of the development.
Greater Noida’s Noida Extension and the Ghaziabad’s Crossings Republik are next to each other along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Both townships are affordable housing hubs but witness long traffic jams due to poor connectivity between the townships.
Ravi Kumar NG added that the Greater Noida authority is taking short-and long-term measures to reduce traffic congestion. The construction of the elevated road is a long-term measure. Another long-term measure is the construction of an underpass at Kisan Chowk in Noida Extension Sector 1, which will likely become operational in 1.5 years. In the short term, the authority is widening arterial and internal roads of sectors to ensure smooth traffic flow.
The authority has also recently widened the 1.5 km Shahberi Road and opened it for commuters who travel between Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.
“The traffic situation in peak hours is bad. It takes one hour to cross a 1km stretch in peak morning and evening hours. The authority needs to not only build roads but also improve regulation on roads. The authority must also remove roadside encroachments that cause daily traffic jams,” said Anita Prajapati, a resident of Gaur City.