The Yamuna Expressway Project is conceived with the idea to not only reduce the travel time between New Delhi and Agra but also to open up avenue for Industrial and Urban development of the region and provide the base for convergence to tourism and other allied industries.

Yamuna Expressway Project between Greater Noida and Agra, the longest Access Controlled six lane (extendable to eight lanes) concrete pavement expressway was conceived by Government of Uttar Pradesh in the year 2001. To accomplish this project, Taj Expressway Authority (TEA), a statutory body of the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh (GOUP) was constituted on 20 April, 2001. TEA is now known as Yamuna Expressway Authority (YEA).

The Yamuna Expressway has been developed to fulfill the following objectives:-

(a) To provide a fast moving corridor to minimize the travel time from Delhi to Agra.
(b) To connect the main townships/commercial centers on the Eastern side of river Yamuna
(c) To open up avenue for industrial and urban development of the region and provide the base for convergence to tourism and other allied industries.
(d) To relieve traffic congestion on National Highway -2 (NH-2).

The 165 Km long Yamuna Expressway has been developed by the Jaypee Group under Public-Private – Partnership. The Concession Agreement between TEA and JIL (Jaiprakash Industries Limited) as the Concessionaire was executed on 7th Feb, 2003.

The Yamuna Expressway Project, was formally inaugurated on 09 Aug, 2012 by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Akhilesh Yadav and thrown open to the public. The total project cost is approx Rs 13000 crores.The concession period is 36 years.

Updated facts and Salient Features of Yamuna Expressway are:-

The Expressway cuts in half the travel time from New Delhi to Agra, the city that is home to India’s top tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal. Apart from providing a fast travel corridor between New Delhi and Agra, the Expressway opens up avenue for industrial and urban development of the region. The Yamuna Expressway corridor is bound to have huge impact on the economic and industrial growth not only of Uttar Pradesh but adjoining states e.g. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana in the coming years.

The Project Background

The Government of Uttar Pradesh has been working proactively to improve the connectivity of the National Capital Region to improve tourist attraction of Taj Mahal at Agra through the new 6 Lanes (extendable to 8 lanes) Access Controlled Expressway with brand name of Yamuna Expressway.

The Taj needs no introduction. Almost everyone who comes to India makes it a point to make a trip to the Taj. Presently Agra is about 210 km away from Delhi by road. A day visitor normally spends nine to ten traveling hours on a return trip between Delhi and Agra which leaves him with very less time in Agra to see the Taj and other places of historical importance. The concept of the Yamuna Expressway which was initially conceived with the idea of cutting down on this travel time proposes a 160 km Expressway between Greater Noida and Agra thus reducing the travel time considerably upto 100 minutes only.  

For implementing the Yamuna Expressway Project and allied development in the region, GOUP constituted Taj Expressway Industrial Development Authority (TEA) vide its Notification No.697/77-4-2001-3(N)/2001 dated 24th April, 2001, under U.P. Industrial Area Development Act, 1976 (U.P. Act No.6 of 1976).  The main responsibilities of TEA, inter alia, included :

• Execution of Yamuna Expressway
• Acquisition of land for construction of Expressway and area development
• Preparation of Zonal plan/Master plan for planned development along the Expressway
• Development of drainage, feeder roads, electrification and other facilities in the area

Approx. 334 villages of District Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahar , Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hatras), Mathura and Agra are Notified under Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority vide various Notifications of Govt. of U.P.

Objectives of the Yamuna Expressway Project

The primary objectives of the proposed expressway were stated as follows:

• To provide a fast moving corridor to minimize the travel time
• To connect the main townships / commercial centres on the eastern side of Yamuna
• To ensure development of adjoining area
• To relieve NH-2 which is already congested and runs through the heart of cities like Faridabad, Ballabgarh and Palwal
• The Yamuna Expressway along with the existing NH-2 and NH-91 and interconnectivity between all three of them will form a good network of roads which in turn, open up a vast area of all-round development in the following areas:

(a) Upcoming huge urban conglomerates in NOIDA and Greater Noida with their own potential will have easy accessibility towards Aligarh, Mathura and Agra.

(b) Safe, shorter travel time and the accessibility in the region will accelerate land development along the Yamuna Expressway in a planned manner for commercial, industrial, institutional amusement and residential purposes.

The proposed Yamuna Expressway, would actually be an extension of  6 lane Expressway from Noida to Greater Noida thus opening up the vast virgin area on the eastern bank of river Yamuna for the industrial and urban Development and provide convergence to the tourism, entertainment, leisure and knowledge based industry in region.

Yamuna Expressway Project is being implemented through Jaiypee Infratech Ltd.  as Concessionaire of the Project.  The Concession Agreement  between Jaiprakash Industries Ltd. (Now Jaiypee Infratech Ltd., the SPV Company set-up as per Concession Agreement) and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority was signed on 07th February, 2003. 

The total length of the Yamuna Expressway from Zero Point Greater Noida upto Agra will be 165.537 kms. as per the Alignment approved in the 14th Board Meeting held on 09-03-2007.

As per the provision of Concession Agreement, Concessionaire have rights for collecting tolls during the concession period of 36 years and also rights for land development of about 25 million square meters of land along the proposed Expressway.  Land including 100 meters for the Expressway at five or more locations of which one location shall be in Noida/Greater Noida with an area of 5 million Square meters along the Expressway for commercial, amusement, industrial, institutional and residential development would be offered on acquisition cost on lease for the period of 90 years. 

As per the Concession Agreement, land for development as well as expressway shall be transferred to Concessionaire on acquisition cost plus lease rent of Rs.100/- per hectare per year.  The cost of construction of Expressway will be borne by the Concessionaire.