Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra), an Anil Ambani group company, has started widening and tolling of the Delhi-Agra road. The project is being undertaken through a special purpose vehicle, DA Toll Road Private Ltd.
The 180-km-long Delhi-Agra corridor is RInfra’s eighth revenue-generating road project. The company was awarded the contract to construct, operate and maintain the road for a 26-year concession period, Rinfra said in a statement.
The project is being executed on a design, build, operate, finance and transfer pattern under the aegis of the National Highways Authority of India.
The four to six lanes widening of the Delhi-Agra road will cost Rs 2,945 crore involving construction and renovation of 16 flyovers, two overpasses, 14 vehicular underpasses, eight bridges on service roads and 10 pedestrian underpasses, among others.
“This is also part of the Golden Quadrilateral and historical Grand Truck road. Once the four-to-six lane widening work of the Delhi Agra road is over, the corridor will start handling 70,000 vehicles each day from the existing 17,000 vehicles each day. This will reduce traffic jams and bottlenecks and provide faster, safer and comfortable travelling experiences. Commuters will be able to drive through major tourist destinations such as SurajKund, Mathura, Vrindavan, Govardhan Parbat and the Taj Mahal at almost half the tolling charges as compared to the other corridor,” RInfra Chief Executive Officer (Roads) Sudhir R. Hoshing, said.
“The traffic density is expected to double in the next seven-eight years. For the safety and security of commuters, the corridor will have a 24X7 patrolling car, ambulance services and medical centre,” he added.
The Delhi-Agra road starts from the Badarpur border and ends before the Yamuna bridge of Agra city, connecting major tourists destinations including Surajkund, Badkhal Lake, Shivling at Hodal, Shani Temple, ISKON temple, Banke Bihari and other major temples of Mathura and Vrindavan.