‘Delayed by over two years, it is expected to be completed by September’

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) underpass, delayed by over two years, will now be completed by September and inaugurated on Gandhi Jayanti, officials said on Wednesday.

The underpass is located at the crossroad of Sectors 24, 25-A, 32 and 33-A. Once completed, it will ease the flow of traffic on the stretch, benefitting thousands of daily commuters, they said.

Gandhi Jayanti

“Nearly 92% of the work on the underpass is complete. We expect the work to be completed by September 30 and are looking forward to its inauguration on Gandhi Jayanti [October 2],” Noida Authority General Manager Rajeev Tyagi said.

So far, ₹55.55 crore had been spent on the project. Work for the six-lane 640-metre underpass began on June 30, 2015. The project was reportedly scheduled to be completed in 2016 itself, but initial hiccups due to tendering processes and logistical support led to delays.

“Only final touches are left, including blacktopping the road surface and painting the walls of the underpass,” Mr. Tyagi said.

Wall art and paintings

He said the Authority preferred wall art and paintings over tiles, which were common elsewhere, in order to keep expenditure to a minimum without compromising on the aesthetics.

“Wall art and paintings look beautiful. They will also save money in comparison to use of tiles on the walls. Also, the maintenance cost of tiles is usually higher than paint. Most importantly, once the underpass becomes operational, thousands of commuters will benefit since traffic will be regulated on this busy crossroad,” Mr. Tyagi added.