Noida: A cloverleaf interchange linking Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) and Yamuna Expressway is likely to open on Oct 15, improving connectivity to Noida International Airport from Greater Noida, Meerut, Palwal, Kundli and Panipat.Conceived in 2019 to strengthen regional connectivity, the interchange is being built near Jaganpur-Afzalpur village, about 2km from Galgotias University and around 10km from the Yamuna Expressway’s zero point at Pari Chowk.At present, there is no direct connection between EPE and Yamuna Expressway. Once ready, the interchange is expected to shave 15-20 km off the drive to Noida airport for commuters from Greater Noida, Meerut, Palwal, Kundli and Panipat, reducing travel time by roughly 15-25 minutes while bypassing the current detour through Pari Chowk and Kasna. The interchange is also expected to provide easier access to Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) sectors and enable smoother travel towards Agra and Mathura.At present, vehicles travelling from the EPE have to exit at the Sirsa interchange near Bir Akbarpur, around 11km away, before joining the Yamuna Expressway. The new cloverleaf will provide a direct connection, allowing traffic to move seamlessly between the two highways without using local roads.Designed with four loops and four ramps, the cloverleaf will enable vehicles to merge between the two expressways at highway speeds, reducing delays and improving traffic flow. So, for example, commuters from Palwal could save around 15-20 minutes, while those from Meerut may save up to 30 minutes. Commuters from Kundli and Panipat are expected to save about 20-25 minutes by avoiding the existing diversion.The interchange is also expected to ease congestion at key bottlenecks such as Pari Chowk, Kasna and Ghangola village, which currently witness heavy traffic, especially during peak hours.NHAI chairman Santosh Yadav inspected the site on Wednesday along with YEIDA officials and directed contractors to speed up work. Currently, 75% of the project has been completed and over the next two months, contractors are to complete road surfacing, retaining walls, crash barriers, lane markings, signage, street lighting, landscaping and other safety infrastructure before the interchange is opened to traffic, officials said.Yamuna Authority CEO RK Singh said. “We expect the project to be completed by Sept 30, and opened to the public by Oct 15,” he said.Spanning 83 hectares, construction of the cloverleaf interchange was marred by repeated delays due to land acquisition hurdles, farmers’ protests demanding higher compensation and rising construction costs, the project gathered pace after its foundation stone was laid on Dec 15, 2023. By then, the project cost, initially estimated at Rs 75.5 crore, had scaled to Rs 123 crore because of design modifications and rising construction costs. Fresh hurdles emerged when the contractor sought an additional Rs 22 crore, citing increased earthwork expenses.As YEIDA rejected the demand and referred the matter to NHAI, the project remained stalled for several months before the state cabinet approved the transfer of the project to NHAI in April last year. By then, the revised project cost had reached Rs 270 crore. Yamuna Authority later cleared 64% additional compensation for affected farmers, allowing construction to gather momentum.At present, the airport is connected to Yamuna Expressway through a seven-kilometre Noida section of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway link road. The remaining Haryana stretch will be ready next year.
