Noida to get underpass soon to ease off congestion

Nestled between Sector 62 and Sector 63 of Noida, NH24 experiences heavy traffic at all hours of the day. During peak hours, the congestion at national highway worsens with hundreds of metre long queues from all the sides.

The T-Junction at NH24 is the main access route for travelling to and fro from Noida to Delhi, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram and Mohan Nagar. To ease traffic, the Noida Authority planned the construction of an underpass below NH24. The construction of this signal-free underpass commenced from 28th February, 2014. The diaphragm wall boring for the median walls is currently in progress along with the construction of the ramp and top slab. According to Noida Authority, the ramp will be connected with NH24 towards the side of Shipra Mall, Indirapuram.

The development of this underpass has been solely dependent on Box Push and Diaphragm Wall technology. The Box Pushing system is a technical method used for the construction of subways or underpasses by casting specifically sized reinforced cement concrete boxes then inserting it by using manual excavation and heavy dury hydraulic jacks.

The new underpass will offer relief to over lakhs of commuters travelling to Noida every day. "The underpass will reduce the time it takes to reach Noida. On a regular day, NH24 experiences a traffic jam every other minute. It will be easier for me to reach office on time," says Kumar Saurav, a government-employed official.

The cost rendered in the construction of the underpass is estimated to be Rs 112.60 crores. An approximate quantity of 46350 cu m of concrete work and 6700 MT of reinforcement steel has been used for it. The underpass will be completed and open to public use from 31st May.