NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: With several road and rail projects being planned in the three cities, residents will not only be able to get quicker access to major residential, commercial and educational hubs in the area, but also the capital.
While Aqua Line between Noida and Greater Noida is ready for expansion, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) network are set to boost connectivity in Ghaziabad. A quick look at the major projects that are set to pick up speed in 2021.
Aqua line expansion
The new extensions have been planned on the Greater Noida-Botanical Garden and Depot-Boraki routes. The project will be divided into three phases — Noida Sector 51-Knowledge Park V line, Sector 142 -Botanical Garden line and Boraki-Depot line
Sector 51-Knowledge Park V
In 2020, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) floated tenders for the Sector 51-Knowledge Park V section thrice. For the first two times, two valid respondents had shown interest. As the minimum requirement for the bidding process was three respondents, the tenders were floated again. The third round, the deadline for which was December 18, concluded with responses from two previous bidders. The bids are being evaluated. The detailed project report on the corridor has been approved by the state cabinet. The 15km-long elevated corridor will be built in two phases and provide a link to Delhi Metro’s Blue Line at Sector 52. Of the nine stations planned, five are to be built in the first phase by 2022. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 430 crore.
Four stations have been planned in the second phase.
Sector 142-Botanical Garden
The second arm of Aqua Line will provide a crucial direct link to Delhi Metro through Botanical Garden. The 11.5km section will branch out of the existing Sector 142 station to meet Botanical Garden, where it will have an interchange with the Blue and Magenta lines.
This section will be helpful for residents who stay near the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in Greater Noida and. Now, a commuter who wants to use the metro from these areas to go to Delhi has to take the Aqua Line, get off at Sector 51, walk to Botanical Garden station and then take the Blue Line.
The new route will also provide a link to the domestic terminal at IGI as passengers would be able to take the Magenta Line metro from Botanical Garden station itself.
The detailed project report (DPR) is yet to be vetted by the NMRC board. The section will have 11 elevated stations, including Botanical Garden. It will be ready by 2023
Boraki-Depot
No major progress has been made on this plan. The section may have three stations
IKEA connect
IKEA, which is set to build a store at Sector 51, is likely to create a pathway between Sector 51 and 52 metro stations. It will help shoppers and commuters switch between Blue and Aqua lines
DMRC support
NMRC has signed an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), under which the former will be engaging the later for services of General Consultants (GC) or Project Management Consultants (PMC) for a part of the project. DMRC will also be responsible for planning and arranging for training in different fields
DME almost ready
Soon, it will take a little over 30 minutes to travel between Delhi and Meerut as DME, which passes through Ghaziabad, may be ready by February. Now, it takes about 90 minutes to cover the 82km stretch. There are two incomplete stretches on the 14-lane road (6 lanes of DME that run parallel to 8 lanes of NH-9). The National Highways Authority of India officials said 90% of the work on the UP Gate-Dasna stretch and 80% work on the Dasna-Meerut stretch is over. The road was supposed to be ready by December 2020
Ghaziabad to be on RRTC map
Work on the country’s first RRTS corridor between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut has picked up speed. The Rs 30,274 crore project is likely to be completed by March 2024 but the Sahibabad-Duhai stretch may be ready by March 2023. As per the DPR, the daily ridership on the line is expected to be over 8 lakh. Once ready, trains with an average speed of 100kmph will cover the distance between Meerut and Delhi in less than an hour.