Delhi to Taj Mahal in two hours

Now, Delhi to Agra in less than two hours ! This sounds unbelievable. But it’s a dream UP Chief Minister Mayawati wants to gift her Sta...

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Now, Delhi to Agra in less than two hours ! This sounds unbelievable. But it’s a dream UP Chief Minister Mayawati wants to gift her State with the completion of Taj Expressway targeted to be ready in five years.

The superhighway linking the capital with Agra will make it possible for tourists to reach Agra from Delhi in less than two hours. And it is not tourists alone who would use this highway as Mayawati wants a Taj economic zone to develop along this highway to make the region an important investment destination.

Built with a total investment of Rs 2,500 crore, this 160-kilometre long Expressway will link Greater Noida and Agra. Nearly five ambitious projects are coming up in this area including Taj Economic Zone (TEZ), medi-city, web-city, bio-tech city, a shopping mall and Taj international airport along side the expressway. TEZ is being planned near the Eastern bank of Yamuna and shall incorporate world standard facilities comprising of convention centres, entertainment and sports facility, hotels, housing and urban development component.

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Calling it as the most emphatic evidence of her government’s commitment towards world class infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Mayawati said that “the construction of Taj Expressway will act as a powerful engine of economic development for the entire western UP”.

While addressing the gathering during the signing ceremony, J.P. Industries chairman J.P. Gaur said that “we will complete the project within five years from the day land is allocated to us.”

Taj zone would be instrumental in attracting Rs 40,000 crore investment in five years while about Rs 10,000 crore is expected in Taj zone in the first year of construction of expressway. The State has already invited expression of interest for strategic partners to develop these projects.

Taj Expressway would be the extension of the recently commissioned 23.74 kilometre Gautam Buddha Expressway. It has already reduced travel time between Delhi and Greater Noida to about 20 minutes. With commuting time reduced so drastically, major multinational manufacturing facilities located in the region including Yamaha, Honda Siel, LG Electronics and Samsung are also expected to be greatly benefited.