Rs 1,645 crore project to connect Yamuna Expressway with Delhi-Agra Highway approved

Mathura: The Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad's Rs 1,645 crore project to link the Yamuna Expressway (Noida-Agra) and the Delhi-Agra National Highway in Mathura was approved on the last day of the financial year, officials said Tuesday.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will now initiate land acquisition procedures for the link road in the first phase.

According to Shyam Bahadur Singh, ex-officio CEO of the Parishad and Vice Chairman of the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority, the 15-km six-lane road will connect the Yamuna Expressway at its 101st km with the Delhi-Agra Highway near Jaint. The project also proposes a bridge over the Yamuna River.

The route will start from Jaint (Km 129.32), pass near Ramtal in Vrindavan, cross the Yamuna, and merge with the expressway.

"A designated exit for Vrindavan will ensure that pilgrims and tourists from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh can reach the city without traffic congestion," Singh said.

The link stands to provide seamless passing through to people from eastern and western Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other states travelling via Agra to Mathura and Vrindavan.

The Parishad had submitted the project roadmap to the state government nearly three years ago.

Singh said, "A bridge will be built over the Yamuna from Jugal Ghat in Vrindavan to Jahangirpur, and a multi-level parking facility with a capacity for 3,000 vehicles will also be developed. This will allow visitors to park their vehicles outside the city and use smaller vehicles for local travel, reducing congestion."

The state has already sanctioned Rs 150 crore in the current financial year's budget for the construction of a corridor in Vrindavan, similar to those in Ayodhya and Varanasi, to facilitate pilgrim visits to the Banke Bihari Temple.

"With both these projects, Mathura-Vrindavan is set to become a major tourism hub. Improved connectivity and infrastructure will significantly boost tourism development in the region," Singh added.