Agra Lucknow Expressway
| Agra - Lucknow Expressway | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Length: | 302 km (188 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| From: | Agra |
| To: | Lucknow |
| Highway system | |
The Agra Lucknow Expressway is an under construction 302 km (188 mi) controlled-access highway or expressway, being constructed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority[1] to reduce traffic in already congested roads and to reduce pollution and carbon footprint. The expressway will reduce the distance between the cities of Agra and Lucknow in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a 6-lane expressway which is expandable to 8-lanes in future and is expected to be constructed until the end of 2016.
Overview
The cost of project is expected to be ₹15000 crore (equivalent to ₹150 billion or US$2.2 billion in 2013).[2] It would cut travel time between Lucknow and Agra from 6 hours to 3:30 hours. The expressway will be 6-lane wide (expandable to 8-lane in future) although the structures (major, minor bridges and underpasses) on the expressway are already being constructed as 8-laned to be in tune with the expanded width of the expressway in future.[3] It is proposed on minimum distance and minimal agricultural land formula and will be financed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.[4] The Express-way will carry all public amenities viz. under passes, service roads, provision for green belt, rest houses, petrol pumps, service centres, restaurants and four agricultural mandis for milk, potatoes, grains, fruits and vegetables.
Route
| S.No | Station | Inter Station distance in Kilometres | Chainage in Kilometres From Agra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agra | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 2 | Firozabad | 24 | 24 |
| 3 | Shikohabad | 45 | 70 |
| 4 | Mainpuri | 17 | 87 |
| 5 | Kannauj | 80 | 165 |
| 6 | Mohaan | 85 | 260 |
| 7 | Lucknow | 10 | 302 |
- Total Route Length: 302 km
This expressway will be connected to Yamuna Expressway through the under-construction Agra Ring Road, and thus providing an express link between Greater Noida, NCR to Lucknow via Agra. It will connect Agra and Lucknow via Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Kanpur, Unnao and Hardoi. The expressway will start at village Etmadpur Madra near Agra and will end at village Sarosa Bharosa near Mohan Road, Lucknow.[5]
Objectives
The objectives of the expressway are as follows:
- To provide a fast moving corridor to minimize the travel time.
- To connect the main townships / commercial centres on the northern side of Yamuna.
- To ensure development of adjoining area like Mainpuri. Once Mainpuri is connected to Lucknow, Mainpuri will become a new Business Zone opening up opportunities for development.
- To relieve NH-91 which is already congested and runs through the heart of cities like Aligarh, Etah and Unnao.
- Reduce pollution and carbon footprint of vehicles travelling between Lucknow and Agra (commercial as well as tourists visiting the Taj Mahal).
- Improve vehicle fuel mileage efficiency, reduce wear and tear on vehicles, and reduce logistical costs.
- Enable farmers in western Uttar Pradesh to move agricultural, horticultural and milk products rapidly to major cities.
- Accelerate movement of supplies and help to affected areas during Yamuna floods and other emergencies.
- To infuse a new impetus to the development of the state by attracting investors in a big way.
Project timeline
- November 2013: No developers bid for this 9000 crore rupees project on a "build, own, operate and transfer" basis.[6] Exclusion of provision for free land parcels across the expressway to developer was the main concern among participating developer companies for keeping them away from project.
- June 2014: GoUP decided to execute this project through state government financing, rather than private vendor financed basis, without provision for free land parcels across the expressway to developer companies.[4] GoUP invited bids in 5 packages to 6 lane Agra Lucknow Expressway. Following this, 24 companies submitted their applications for five different patches of the expressway.
- August 2014: Thru bidding process developers are finalised who will be executing each of five sections simultaneously. The sections, its length and the developer who will be developing that section are listed following : Agra-Firozabad (55.3 km, Tata Projects Limited), Firozabad-Etawah (62 km, Afcons Infrastructure), Etawah-Kannauj (57 km, Nagarjuna Construction Company), Kanauj-Unnao (64 km, Afcons Infrastructure), Unnao-Lucknow (63 km, Larsen & Toubro)[7]
- September 2014: 50% of the land required for the project is already acquired.[8]
- November 2014: "Foundation stone laid". 7000 acres acquired for this 15,000 Crores project. The target for the completion of the project is set to 22 months.[9]
- May 2015: Work on two major bridges on Yamuna and Ganga river started.[10] UP Chief Secretary, Alok Ranjan said that the expressway would be operational by the end of October 2016.[11]
- Feb 2016: Progress can be seen on Google Maps and Bing Maps, except for few sections one can entire stretch on Google Maps starting from Kuberpur (at end of Yamuna Expressway near Agra) to Lucknow.[12] [13]
Greenfield Project
The Agra-Lucknow Expressway is considered to be a Greenfield project as there were no work constrains of existing buildings or infrastructure. Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) purchased almost 3127 hectares of land without a murmur of dissent and decided to pay four times the circle rates (CR) to the land owners in rural areas and twice the CR in urban parts, as purchase cost. The rest of land was acquired through land acquisition method[14]
See also
- Expressways in India
- National Highways Development Project
- Purvanchal Expressway
- National Expressway 2 (India), Eastern Peripheral Expressway or KGP (Sonipat-Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal) is a proposed road which will bypass Delhi on eastern side.
- Western Peripheral Expressway, a complementary and under implementation road bypassing Delhi from western side, Sonepat-Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP).
- Yamuna Expressway aka Taj Expressway from Delhi to Agra
References
- ↑ "Agra to Lucknow Access Controlled Expressway (Green Field) Project". UPEIDA. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
- ↑ "Agra-Lucknow Expressway to be operational by Oct 2016". Business Standard. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
- ↑ "Lucknow-Agra e-way structures to be expanded up to eight lanes". The Times of India. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- 1 2 "UP government plans to develop industrial zones at 43 stations of eastern dedicated freight corridor". Times of India. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Govt to rope in Spanish co for Lko-Agra expressway". Times of India. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "No bidders for Akhilesh 's Lucknow-Agra expressway project". Hindustan Times. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Decks cleared for Agra-Lucknow expressway". The Hindu. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Govt reduces Lucknow-Agra Expressway deadline by 6 months". Indian express. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Agra-Lucknow expressway's foundation laid, to be done in 22 months". Business Standard. 23 November 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Independent body to monitor UP projects". Times of India. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Agra-Lucknow Expressway to be operational by Oct 2016". Business Standard. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Agra Lucknow Expressway".
- ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps.
- ↑ "Land acquisition: Modi to learn a lesson from Akhilesh". Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2016.