[sach.sri]

EDIT on 10th August 2012 - The Expressway is OPEN!

Delhi-Agra travel time is set to be cut down by half via the newly opened Yamuna Expressway. However, this will come at the cost of high toll charges to the commuters. Currently, the toll charge on the NH-2 from Delhi to Agra for a passenger car is about Rs 110 per trip. This will almost triple on the Expressway at Rs 320 per trip (or Rs 2.10 per km). A round trip will be more economical at Rs 520 per trip. One-way toll charges for two-wheelers are Rs 150 and about Rs 1,050 for buses and trucks. Monthly passes are subject to discounts.

In addition, vehicles carrying union and state government officials and foreign dignitaries will be exempted from paying toll charges. Fire brigades and ambulances will also have free access to the Expressway.

Toll charges will be exercised only after 15th August. It will be free until then, probably to create a buzz around the expressway.

The six-lane expressway cost Rs 13,300-crore and took almost four years to complete. It was opened to public on Thursday afternoon.

So how does it compare to National Highway-2 otherwise? The 200 km plus distance from Delhi to Agra will be reduced to 165 km on the Expressway. Travel time will also be cut down from 4-5 hours to just over 2 hours.

The Expressway developers Jaypee Group is expecting toll income of Rs 200-250 cr in the first year, and daily use by 20,000-40,000 vehicles.

Other points

- Speed limit has been fixed at 100 kph for cars and 60 kph for heavy vehicles. The company claims that speed traps have been set up to catch offenders.

- There is a provision to expand the freeway to eight lanes if required.

- Three toll plazas with 16 gates on each side.

- Fuel stations, ATMs and other public convenience facilities to come soon.

[ankurvirmani19]

That's a great news. It will be a boon for commuters as it would reduce the travel time to nearly half.
Any news regarding the toll that would be levied on the way to Agra?

[<Badguy>]

It will be a great boon to public travelling from Delhi to Agra. But I doubt that this is going to open any time soon

Yesterday only I did a trip from Kanpur to Delhi on NH2. I saw the expressway on Agra side and work need to be still done on completing the stretch near Agra. Surprisingly there was also no labor working on it so I guess there is still some time in opening and it is going to be delayed.

Moreover after Akhilesh will take as CM he can delay the expressway by citing the issues like speed limit, toll etc etc..so i guess people will have to wait for some more time

But then when it will start it will be great boon for us. Imagine travelling from Agra to Noida in 90 minutes. It took me 4.5 hrs yesterday in peak evening time. Wish that it open soon

Cheers

[ricky_speed]

The entry will be from a loop just before greater Noida on Noida - Greater Noida expressway. The expressway is on the eastern side of the Yamuna river and is now called the Yamuna Expressway instead of Taj Expressway.

It will pass through the under construction YEIDA region which is to the south of Greater Noida and will have easy exits to Mathura / Vrindavan region.

It was supposed to open in Jan 2012 but was delayed to I think, April 1, on account of election commission protocol. I think the expressway is largely completed except some toll plazas.

[ampere]

How are the intersections and exit planned at Agra?
As per Google and Wikimapia I see its about 15km on the Agra Aligarh highway.

[gajadonga]

Another good reason to drive to Delhi and drive the Yamuna expressway.
I did the same when Mumbai-Pune was opened and another trip to drive
Bandra worli sea link in Mumbai.

[mayankk]

I remember from the F1 visit.
It is absolutely amazing!!
Here you go...

[libranof1987]

Let's how the political developments affect the Taj Expressway.

Irrespective of when they inaugrate it officially, I really hope they have 2 things in place :
1) speed restrictions and methods to monitor and control speed and catch violators
2) emergency services

I was on the Taj Expressway during the F1 and it was scary to watch all vehicles doing ~140km/hr.

Unless they have speed restrictions in place, this might just end up as another Mumbai-Pune Expressway where people speed up like idiots and end up on the stairway to heaven.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I really hope they have 2 things in place :
1) speed restrictions and methods to monitor and control speed and catch violators
2) emergency services

Unless they have speed restrictions in place, this might just end up as another Mumbai-Pune Expressway where people speed up like idiots and end up on the stairway to heaven.

Well said sir. +1 to that. One thing I would like is to restrict the two wheelers too for those "Jante ho main kaun hoon" types. If the travel time reduced is to such an extent then I guess the toll must be pretty heavy. Another cash cow waiting to be milked by the state+Central govts.

[sgiitk]

If the UK is any guide then 2-wheelers smaller than 250cc (maybe 150cc in India) must not be allowed. Naturally, no scooties, scotters, animal driven vehicles, bicycles, etc. No L drivers either.

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by gajadonga

Another good reason to drive to Delhi and drive the Yamuna expressway.
I did the same when Mumbai-Pune was opened and another trip to drive
Bandra worli sea link in Mumbai.

+1 to that - i am waiting for this to open to do a joy ride . I remember travelling on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway way back in 2002 when it was still new and there was not much traffic on it. It was a incredible drive - even on my M800.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Let's how the political developments affect the Taj Expressway.

Irrespective of when they inaugrate it officially, I really hope they have 2 things in place :
1) speed restrictions and methods to monitor and control speed and catch violators
2) emergency services

I was on the Taj Expressway during the F1 and it was scary to watch all vehicles doing ~140km/hr.

Unless they have speed restrictions in place, this might just end up as another Mumbai-Pune Expressway where people speed up like idiots and end up on the stairway to heaven.

Very true. This is even more true with the reports of youngsters doing drag races with their Bikes - even on the grtr Noida expressway.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

If the UK is any guide then 2-wheelers smaller than 250cc (maybe 150cc in India) must not be allowed. Naturally, no scooties, scotters, animal driven vehicles, bicycles, etc. No L drivers either.

Logically, yes - but how will you stop it? All the villages will naturally have these kind of traffic so dont think this can be controlled.

BTW - the newspaper report that i was reading said that it is being opened 2 years before time?

Also, any ideas on the safety situation - not in terms of traffic but otherwise?

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by sach.sri

Logically, yes - but how will you stop it? All the villages will naturally have these kind of traffic so dont think this can be controlled.

BTW - the newspaper report that i was reading said that it is being opened 2 years before time?

Also, any ideas on the safety situation - not in terms of traffic but otherwise?

There will be no exits/entrances at every village. I think there are going to be very few exits enroute from Gr. Noida to Agra. At most 4 or 5. Traffic can very much be controlled, esp stray animals and slow moving contraptions/tractors/bullock carts etc. In any case I think the toll would be very high (that itself will be a big deterrant).

Lets see how it pans out. Hoping for the best as it would greatly shorten my commute time from one home (in-laws place) in Gaziabad to another (parents place in Mathura).

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by joslicx

There will be no exits/entrances at every village. I think there are going to be very few exits enroute from Gr. Noida to Agra.At most 4 or 5. Traffic can very much be controlled, esp stray animals and slow moving contraptions/tractors/bullock carts etc. In any case I think the toll would be very high (that itself will be a big deterrant).

Dont think that this is possible. After all - if there are no exit/entries - then how will the village traffic be managed? How will they cross the road? or will there be a flyover over every village?


But yes, hopefully would be a good road. Even if it is a good smooth road - more than 80% of our worries are over.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by sach.sri

Dont think that this is possible. After all - if there are no exit/entries - then how will the village traffic be managed? How will they cross the road? or will there be a flyover over every village?


But yes, hopefully would be a good road. Even if it is a good smooth road - more than 80% of our worries are over.

No flyovers needed. Tractors have no issues crossing 6 inch high central dividers. Why waste money on flyovers.
As for speed limits, not needed at all. Wrong side tractors with no headlights can slow down all vehicles, and even destroy over speeders, and not so overs speeders.
just like Noida-Greater noida expressway, this will be a successful population reduction initiative by the govt.
More incentive will be given to dumper trucks(construction/material lorries) to be parked in the fast lane. Extra bonus points for Fog times.
For those who still survive all this, govt will paint white lines on the road, which will gradually get closer to the divider, and then merge with divider, and divider will take care of the rest(like Noida-Greater Noida expressway).
So no worries folks. Its all planned out well.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by sach.sri

Dont think that this is possible. After all - if there are no exit/entries - then how will the village traffic be managed? How will they cross the road? or will there be a flyover over every village?

If memory serves me right, Jaypee were supposed to build lot of bridges (and provision for roads under them so that villagers can use them). I used to regularly use such a road (under a bridge) when I was in Noida. My office was just opposite HCL in Sec 127 and I lived in Sec 50. Only way to cross road was the road under one bridge. It was shared with all the cows and other bucolics, tractors etc. I never saw any cows crossing on the Noida expressway. I'd assume it would be like that for Yamuna Expressway as well.

Some more info on their webpage : Salient Features of the Yamuna Expressway Project | Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority

I dont know how much they will actually implement though.