Localities near Taj Mahal in Agra receive facelift before Trump's visit: Report

Localities around Agra were repainted, roads repaired to lift aesthetics of Taj Mahal's surroundings

Roads with potholes near the Taj Mahal were covered with dry tar, shop hoardings were coloured uniformly and roads were broadened before U.S. President Donald Trump’s first-ever visit to the Taj Mahal, according to a The Indian Express report. The American President is likely to stay at Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel while he visits the architectural marvel, the report said.

A 350-metre bridge is on the likely route between the airport and the Taj Mahal. The bridge put up by the Public Works Department says that the bridge can only take light vehicles and that the bridge is weak, said the report. Several estimates say that Trump’s 'The Beast' limousine weighs over 5 tonnes, which is over the weight category allowed on the bridge, the report said.

The Agra administration is working on repairing lights and a metal archway on the bridge. A Northern Railways official said that they have written to the Superintendent of Police (Traffic) and asked that heavy vehicles not be allowed on the bridge. The final decision, however, lies with the administration. Some other officials have told the publication that the bridge has handled the weight of several heavy vehicles in the past.

Over 50 shopkeepers at Khushwah Market in the Kheria neighbourhood were asked to remove individual hoardings for their shops and replace them with red-coloured boards for improved aesthetics, the report said.