[ses]

Originally Posted by VTEC POWER

Since I will be travelling at night I have decided not to use the ALE while going to Lko. However while coming back, the drive will be during the day and I will use this expressway all the way from Lko to Agra merging finally into the Yamuna Expresway all the way to Noida & Delhi. The photos look promising, just that it's not worth the risk while travelling at night on an unknown highway with the family.

Give that Agra-Luknow-Expressway is quite deserted, security might be a concern while travelling at night. On the other hand, you should be able to easily save around 90 minutes by taking the ALE route. Given the lack of traffic (especially, the absence of trucks), it is a lot easier to maintain a higher average speed on ALE compared to the Lucknow-Kanpur-Etawah-Agra route. Perhaps after your trip, you can let us know the difference in travel time that you experience.

[sgiitk]

Heard about some blockage near the Agra end. Some people (3 cars) were travelling to Agra, and only a few km before the Agra end they ran into some boulders etc. They did not want to go back to Etawah, so were at a loss. Just then some chaps riding mobikes came, and advised them to follow them though the fields. They were brave enough to do so, and made it happily.

What is not clear whether it was the Agra link or also the YE link. Just be warned.

[SX4LOVER]

Okay friends! I want to do a short trip to Delhi and back and the night stay enroute is at Agra (Taj Nagari). Till now I used to take left from waterworks (or the turn before that) and circle around the entire outskirt and reach TDI Mall. Now that ALE is operational, I have the following routes as options. Experts are requested to guide as I would be reaching Agra by 9 PM:

(a) From Kanpur continue onto GT Road, reach Etawah and take the Bah road all the way from fatehabad upto taj nagari.
(b) At Etawah, take right and reach kathphori and get on the ALE and take the left to inner ring road and reach taj nagari
(c) continue onto GT road all along, reach YE exit to ALE, take left to inner ring road and proceed as (b) above.

Please help!

[ses]

Originally Posted by SX4LOVER

Experts are requested to guide as I would be reaching Agra by 9 PM:

(a) From Kanpur continue onto GT Road, reach Etawah and take the Bah road all the way from fatehabad upto taj nagari.
(b) At Etawah, take right and reach kathphori and get on the ALE and take the left to inner ring road and reach taj nagari
(c) continue onto GT road all along, reach YE exit to ALE, take left to inner ring road and proceed as (b) above.

If your source/destination is Kanpur, then the easiest route would be to join the Agra - Lucknow expressway near Bilhaur and travel on the expressway all the way up to Agra (there is a well marked exit into inner ring road). The road is very good and functional for traffic in both directions. You'll end up saving a lot of time. Please check post #119 on this thread where I have posted some pictures of the road.

[sgiitk]

I think I had posted the google map of the junction earlier in this thread. So please look back and you should find it. Also, see the bit about the Agra end being blocked with boulders a couple of days ago.

[sparkguy]

Friends, I utilized holi weekend to fullest. Visited lucknow through Yamuna expressway and Agra lucknow expressway. My observations
1) Excellent road from both sides. There are few diversions but you stay on road always
2) From greater noida to lucknow it takes approx 5.5 hours
3) In return journey I took Bilhaur-- Aural--expressway route. Being holi even GT road was deserted and I managed to complete ii in 5.5 hrs
4) You can manage very high speeds on ALE but cattle/dogs and biker can appear from nowhere and could be security risk
5) As of now driving on this road during night is not advisable
6) There are no shops/ restrooms/ petrol pumps en-route and fuel consumption rises exponentially with speed so one has to plan accordingly.
7) There are no signboards and at times I need to use GPS just to check my coordinates.
8) No tolls as of now.
9) Healthy presence of Dial 100 vehicles instill some confidence.
Overall I was able to satisfy my wander lust to fullest.

[SX4LOVER]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I think I had posted the google map of the junction earlier in this thread. So please look back and you should find it. Also, see the bit about the Agra end being blocked with boulders a couple of days ago.

My source is Allahabad, so taking a detour to Aaraul wouldn't really make sense would it? What's your opinion sir?

[A.G.The Rambler]

Originally Posted by ses

I travelled on the the Lucknow - Agra expressway towards the end of February. On the Agra side, the expressway is fully functional (workers told me that it was opened on 22 February).

The expressway has a well marked exit into Agra which joins the inner ring road as well as a continuation which joins the Yamuna Expressway. These are functional for traffic in both directions.

I was just looking through if anything new is being suggested on the Kolkata - Delhi route by google maps. Found out that from Etawah its taking a right turn towards Karhal and joining the Agra -Lucknow expressway from Karhal towards Agra on to the YEA and then driving straight to Delhi avoiding the Sirsaganj-Shikohabad-Firozabad route.

Not sure if this route is at all feasible. So is my understanding correct that now ALE is connected with the YEA? Is the Karhal-Agra-YEA open to public?

Also, what is the condition of the Etawah-Baidpura-Saifai-Karhal route. Any idea!

[ses]

Originally Posted by A.G.The Rambler

So is my understanding correct that now ALE is connected with the YEA? Is the Karhal-Agra-YEA open to public?

Agra Lucknow expressway is connected to Yamuna expressway via the inner ring road. It is functional for traffic in both directions. I'm not sure about the entry into ALE from Karhal.

[VTEC POWER]

Hello,
So i was finally able to use the ALE while going from Del - Lko, though i still dont know how to meet ALE when YE ends. After YE ended, kept to my left, merged on the regular highway and went all the way to Sikohabad. There was a toll booth, 2-3 kms after which i got the way into ALE. The roads are awesome, deserted with no toll booths, no gas stations, no eateries, nothing. But it saved a lot of time compared to the Agra-Etawah-Kanpur-Lko route. Won't recommend night travelling unless you are in 4x4 convoy.

Thank you

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by ses

I travelled on the the Lucknow - Agra expressway towards the end of February. On the Agra side, the expressway is fully functional (workers told me that it was opened on 22 February). I am not aware of the status on the Lucknow side. I joined the expressway near Bilhaur - which is the obvious access point if the source/destination is Kanpur.

Thanks a lot for the ground report! How's the road between Bilhaur and Kanpur? Overall, how much time did it take from Kanpur to Delhi? Any significant savings over the NH2 - YE route?

I might need to be in Kanpur sometime in May, so toying with the idea of driving down using Yamuna + this expressway.

[ses]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

How's the road between Bilhaur and Kanpur? Overall, how much time did it take from Kanpur to Delhi? Any significant savings over the NH2 - YE route?

I might need to be in Kanpur sometime in May, so toying with the idea of driving down using Yamuna + this expressway.

To travel from Delhi to Kanpur, I think using the Agra-Lucknow expressway is a no-brainer at the moment (provided you are not travelling at night). Starting at Kalyanpur and without travelling at insane speeds, I was able to save around 60 minutes as compared to the NH2 route.

The road from Bilhaur to Kanpur is good. The road was repaired recently, there are no potholes. However, till Naramau, it is just a 2 lane road without a median, so one has to be careful.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by SX4LOVER

My source is Allahabad, so taking a detour to Aaraul wouldn't really make sense would it? What's your opinion sir?

Allahabad-Kanpur is the same as what I will do. So I think you can save an hour or so taking the Expressway. It may be shorter as well. One thing I may warn you about is that the Panki-Kalyanpur section is (finally) been redone, so you may have to come in through Vijay Nagar.

[A.G.The Rambler]

Originally Posted by ses

To travel from Delhi to Kanpur, I think using the Agra-Lucknow expressway is a no-brainer at the moment (provided you are not travelling at night).

I am a bit ignorant about this stretch, hence wanted to know if there is any other reason for ALE till Kanpur as Kanpur-Etawah is also in excellent condition.
Going by the maps, at Kathphori there is a NH2(Presently NH19) - ALE interchange from where we can get into ALE from NH2 after Etawah and then join YEA till Delhi. Is this interchange open and usable?
Actually, i have a plan to drive to Delhi from Kolkata and i am looking into the options of avoid Sirsaganj-Shikohabad-Firozabad-Tundla stretch.

[ses]

I travelled on the Agra-Lucknow expressway again a few days back. Traffic is still sparse, the road remains a joy to drive on. Toll booths are yet to start functioning.

The rail overbridge near GPS: 26°58'22" N 78°44'46" E is still under construction. So traffic in both directions are routed on one side of the road.

The entry/exit near Bilhaur and the one near Kannauj (near GPS: 26°59'9" N 79°49'56" E) are functional.

My understanding is that the entry/exit near Karhal is not functional. There was a lot of construction activity happening on the approach roads.

Originally Posted by A.G.The Rambler

I am a bit ignorant about this stretch, hence wanted to know if there is any other reason for ALE till Kanpur as Kanpur-Etawah is also in excellent condition.
Going by the maps, at Kathphori there is a NH2(Presently NH19) - ALE interchange from where we can get into ALE from NH2 after Etawah and then join YEA till Delhi. Is this interchange open and usable?
Attachment 1621311

You save time travelling on ALE compared to NH2 only if you are able to travel on the expressway for a reasonable distance. It is quite easy to maintain a higher average speed on ALE as compared to NH2.

I believe the entry/exit at Kathphori has been functional for quite some time now. If i'm not wrong, this opened even before the Agra end of the expressway was opened for traffic.