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The Uttar Pradesh government has approved a budget of ?892.7 crore to resume construction on the long-delayed Chilla elevated road project, which aims to connect Mayur Vihar in Delhi with the Mahamaya Flyover in Noida. This decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by the states infrastructure and industrial development commissioner earlier this week, as reported by The Times of India. The allocated funds are slightly lower than the ?937.9 crore requested by the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Ltd (UPSBCL), the agency responsible for the project.
Initially conceived in 2012 to alleviate traffic congestion between Noida and Delhi, the construction of the 5.9-kilometre, six-lane elevated road has faced numerous setbacks, including financial delays, rerouting of pipelines, and complications from the Covid-19 pandemic, which halted work in March 2020. To date, only 13% of the project has been completed, with the Noida Authority disbursing ?79 crore.
MG Contractors, a company based in Panchkula, Haryana, was awarded the execution of the project in June of this year; however, the contractor is currently awaiting formal approval from the Noida Authority before beginning work.
The Chilla elevated road project received its first formal approval from the Delhi government in 2018, six years after its initial conception. Following this, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone in January 2019, and the Noida Authority provided initial funding to kick-start the project. Progress has been hindered by delays in releasing funds from the Public Works Department and the rerouting of a GAIL pipeline, a critical infrastructure hurdle.
Initially budgeted at ?605.3 crore, the cost-sharing agreement between the Noida Authority and the state government has been strained by rising costs and inflation. In October 2023, UPSBCL requested an updated budget of ?940 crore based on current market rates. While the government granted in-principle approval, only ?892.7 crore has been allocated.
A fresh tender process was initiated, with MG Contractors winning the contract by offering a price 7% lower than the tender estimate. However, UPSBCL subsequently requested an additional ?153 crore to cover new costs, causing further delays in issuing the final work order.
At a meeting on August 27, it was decided that UPSBCL would not receive maintenance charges for the project. Instead, the Noida Authority will take over responsibility for maintaining the elevated road upon completion.
The Chilla elevated road is viewed as a crucial infrastructure project for improving traffic flow between Noida and Delhi. In June 2022, the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet sanctioned ?787 crore for the project, to be shared equally with the Noida Authority. However, the tender process needed revisiting due to market fluctuations and rising costs. On September 19, the Uttar Pradesh government instructed the Noida Authority to expedite the construction process. Once completed, the elevated road is expected to be a vital connector for thousands of commuters, easing congestion and reducing travel times between Noida and Delhi. |
