UP govt releases ₹197cr for cargo road at Noida airport  

GREATER NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh government has released ₹196.79 crore fund to construct a crucial 8.25 kilometre-long expressway to Cargo terminal road, and a 750 metre-long VVIP corridor to boost connectivity for the upcoming airport near Jewar, said the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Friday.

Yeida chief executive officer Arun Vir Singh, on December 6, 2024, had signed an agreement with the national highway authority of India (NHAI) to build these two crucial links.

“The UP government has released ₹196 crore fund for this important project construction because these two are crucial for the connectivity. The cargo terminal to expressway of 8.25 km length will offer seamless commute. The VVIP route will be constructed for the emergency usage, and is an important link for the airport project,” said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Yeida.

Yeida, and NHAI had signed the agreement to build these two roads near the airport to boost connectivity in future when the traffic volume would increase. Yeida has handed over the road construction from the expressway to the cargo terminal in the north-eastern direction of the airport to the NHAI that will build this corridor.

This Cargo terminal road, measuring 8.25km long and 30-metre wide, will be ready in next four months, said officials. Yeida said that the NHAI will build a 750-metre long and 60 metre wide VIP road.

“We will also provide the land for the route soon as an agreement in this regard has been signed. These decisions were taken during a December meeting of NHAI and authority officials at the Yamuna authority office. The construction of the Noida International Airport is in the final stages and the commercial operation will begin by April-end, 2025. Therefore, the efforts are being intensified to complete the connectivity work at the earliest,” said CEO.

Yeida said that the VIP loop would connect the Noida airport to the expressway and would be dedicated for emergency purposes.

The Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) has maintained that the terminal building is nearing completion. It said that the flooring work is completed, escalators have been installed, and the baggage handling system is operational. Roof construction is underway, and over 90% of the ₹10,000-crore budget for the first phase has been utilised as yet.

“The crucial infrastructural work including drinking water lines, sewage treatment plants (STPs), and water treatment plants (WTPs) are about to get completed. Landside and airside developments are also advancing and landside work, including terminals, access roads, parking facilities, and public transport connections, is 79% complete. On the airside, which includes runways, taxiways, and aprons, 89% of the work has been completed,” said Shailendra Bhatia, nodal officer of the NIAL that looks after the construction on behalf of the UP government.

The NIAL said that the flights are proposed to start by April 17 this year, with the airport expected to handle 12 million passengers annually in the first phase.

Plans for the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub and runway development for the second phase are underway, with tender documents being prepared for plot allotment, officials said.