Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will inaugurate the country’s longest 207 kilometre cycle highway connecting Taj City Agra and lion Safari at Etawah on Sunday. The UP government has spent Rs 133.78 crores for the construction of the cycle highway.
The CM will also dedicate Tajganj project, meant to spruce up the surroundings of Taj Mahal in which Rs 197 crore have been spent. Besides, he will also inaugurate several other projects of power department and inner-ring road connecting the Yamuna Expressway with Taj Mahal.
Akhilesh Yadav, an avid environment and sports lover, will also flag off a cycle rally on Sunday from the eastern gates of Taj Mahal and conclude at lion Safari, Etawah covering 207 kilometers in three days.
Cyclists from Sweden, USA, Germany, Bangladesh and from 12 states of the country would participate and pass by several historical buildings including Bateshwar Nath temple, Naugawa fort and rural areas before reacing the Etawah lion Safari on November 29.
Yadav has announced about the cycle expressway in December last year while participating in the first edition of UP Bird Festival. The second edition of the Festival will be held at Chambal area in Agra from December 2.
Built at a cost of Rs 197 crore, the Tajganj project is one of the most ambitious project of the CM. Under the project, 15 slums and areas surrounding the Taj Mahal have been spruced up, while roads in 500-meter radius of the monument have been laid by red sandstones instead of bitumen.
It also has enhanced security system around Taj Mahal with CCTV cameras and a control room to keep an eye on the surroundings round the clock.
A government officials said that the project has been completed within two years. “Along with the inner-ring road, tourists will get world-class facility visiting the Taj, as they will now get a smooth access to the monument. The 11-km inner-ring road (first phase) has been built at a cost of Rs 820 crore,” he informed.