Yamuna Expressway | |
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Route information | |
Length: | 165.537 km (102.860 mi) |
Existed: | 9 August 2012 – present |
Major junctions | |
From: | Greater Noida |
To: | Agra |
Location | |
States: | Uttar Pradesh |
Highway system | |
Yamuna Expressway is a 6-lane (extendable to 8 lanes), 165 km long, controlled-access expressway, connecting Greater Noida with Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is India's longest six-lane controlled-access expressway stretch. The total project cost was ₹128.39 billion (US$1.9 billion).
The expressway project concept was proposed by former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati, its construction began in December 2007, completed about two years ahead of its original target completion date, and inaugurated on 9 August 2012 by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The expressway starts from Greater Noida and ends at Kuberpur on NH 2 towards Kanpur and Agra. In addition, a total of 13 service roads of about 168 km have been built for local commuters to access the expressway.
It was conceived with the idea of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Agra. But the project could not start because of a change of government in the state in 2003 and also it wasn't financially viable back in 2003. The project was reactivated in 2007 when Mayawati regained power and was renamed Yamuna Expressway.
Yamuna Expressway Project was implemented by Jaypee Group. In May 2012, Jaypee Group informed state government officials that construction of the expressway had been completed. The Yamuna Expressway was formally inaugurated on 9 August 2012 by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, via videoconference from Lucknow, about two years behind of its original target completion date.
In a first for military aviation in India, Indian Air Force on May 21, 2015 successfully landed a French Dassault Mirage-2000 on the Yamuna Expressway near Raya village, Mathura, at about 6.40 am. The drill was part of more elaborate trials to see how many other highways can be used for emergency landing of defence aircraft. The next stretch on sight is three km of the Agra-Lucknow Greenfield Expressway.