The construction work on the 23 km-long stretch connecting NH 24-Greater Noida West (formerly known as Noida Extension)-Yamuna Expressway has resumed after reaching an agreement with the farmers whose lands fall on the route and need to be acquired for the purpose.
The 130 metre-wide road will also connect with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway near Ghaziabad, which will facilitate smooth transition between Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
“"The road, beginning from Parthala Kanjar, will connect Yamuna Expressway near Pari Chowk, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Kasna-Surajpur road, Dadri-Surajpur road, NH 24 and part of Noida near Greater Noida (West), and will be considered a lifeline for the area,” said a senior official of Greater Noida Authority.
Construction work at significant parts of several stretches was completed three years ago, but the project got delayed due to protests by the farmers and locals. After the truce, the authority claimed that the entire project may be completed by December this year.
The project was first conceptualised in 2000 and was to be finished by 2004. However, work on it began in 2008, and has missed several deadlines since then.
In 2011, the Allahabad High Court had ordered the work be stopped as NCR Planning Board had not approved the Master Plan 2021. Apart from this, farmers of over one dozen villages protested against land acquisition required for the project, which further delayed the work.
“As the project has already missed several deadlines, it was a tough task for us to solve the farmers’ issue. We were successful in acquiring land in Devla and Koda-khurd villages recently, which cleared the way for the construction work,” said Harish Verma, Additional CEO of Greater Noida Authority.