NOIDA: The road network around Noida International Airport is expanding fast and Uttar Pradesh has now invited tenders for a 74-km access-controlled link road connecting the airport to Ganga Expressway via Bulandshahr.The six-lane corridor, which can be expanded to eight lanes, is anticipated to be a major eastbound link for the airport and the larger National Capital Region. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has given final nod to the project and has set a target of three years for its construction.The proposed expressway will originate from Yamuna Expressway at 24.8 km near Film City in YEIDA Sector 21 and connect with Ganga Expressway near Syana in Bulandshahr. The project will cover 56 villages including eight in Noida and 48 in Bulandshahr district.Land acquisition is already on with almost 90 per cent of the land required in Yamuna Authority area acquired. Around 23 hectares of land in Mehdipur and Bhaipur villages are yet to be acquired.Importance of the 74-km linkThe project will be important as it will provide a direct high capacity link between the airport region and the east and central parts of Uttar Pradesh. Currently, the traffic to the airport is heavily reliant on the Yamuna Expressway and the existing network around Greater Noida. The new corridor will offer an alternative route to motorists going to Bulandshahr and Ganga Expressway.This expressway will be more than just a six-lane road. The construction package includes seven underpasses, 11 minor bridges, three major bridges, one flyover and four railroad overbridges. It will also have service roads, culverts, interchanges, drainage, fencing, traffic control systems, CCTV cameras, emergency telephones and a control center.There are two stages to the construction. The first will be 24 km stretch between Bhaipur Brahmanan in Greater Noida and Bichaula village in Bulandshahr. The second phase will cover the balance 50 km from Bichaula to Bahanpur in Syana area. The proposed expressway will also cover around 20 km in the New Noida region, which is formally known as the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region.Much larger road build-out driven by airportThe 74-km corridor is just a part of a much larger transformation taking place around Jewar. The 50-km Yamuna Pushta Elevated Road is also coming up in Noida and the Chilla Elevated Road and Faridabad-Jewar Greenfield Expressway are under development.The Yamuna Pushta project itself has been expanded from an earlier 31-km plan to a 50-km route and is estimated to cost about Rs 4,000 crore. The realignment is intended to bring it closer to Noida International Airport.Collectively, these projects indicate that the airport is being viewed as more than just a new aviation facility. Around it, roads, elevated corridors and regional expressways are being constructed to develop multiple approaches from different parts of NCR and western Uttar Pradesh.What it means to commutersThe biggest impact will come when the airport starts handling large volumes of passengers and cargo. The new road will help improve access from Bulandshahr and areas linked to the Ganga Expressway and will also provide support to the emerging new Noida industrial region.The bigger question for NCR, however, will be whether all these corridors are completed on time and integrated properly. A new airport can generate traffic far beyond the immediate boundary, and the effectiveness of the road network will ultimately depend on how well these projects connect to existing expressways, local roads and public transport.
