Noida: Increased movement of cars on Khurja-Jewar road since Noida International Airport began operations in June has shone a spotlight on its broken surface and waterlogged carriageway.Traffic on the road, a key link connecting Jewar with Khurja, Sikandrabad, Hapur, Aligarh and other parts of western Uttar Pradesh, doubled after Jewar-Sikandrabad road closed as part of the construction of Noida International Airport and motorists were diverted to the 36-km stretch.The road, known as Major District Road (MDR-70), passes through villages including Sadullapur, Modalpur, Neemka Shahjahanpur, Jahangirpur and Bankapur before reaching Khurja. At Khurja, it connects with NH-34, which leads to Sikandrabad in Bulandshahr on one side and Aligarh and Hathras on the other.A visit to the road earlier this month showed that several portions were in poor condition — the stretch is dotted with potholes and rough patches. The uneven surface and inadequate slope have resulted in rainwater accumulating on the carriageway.The carriageway is wide enough for only one vehicle to pass in each direction at a time, which causes traffic jams during peak hours. With no divider, the road poses an additional safety risk to commuters.In Modalpur village, debris and loose construction material were lying along the road. The lack of proper shoulders and poor maintenance of the road edges further worsened the condition.Ramesh Sharma, a resident of Jewar-Bangar village, said the road is one of the only ones people from western Uttar Pradesh can take to reach Noida airport but its condition hardly reflects its importance.“It does not look like a road that leads to an airport. I do not remember when it was last resurfaced. It needs the immediate attention of officials,” said Chandrapal, a resident of Neemka Shahjahanpur village.Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Thoda village, said repair and widening work had started a few months ago but slowed down because of monsoon rainfall. “They have done some work near Jahangirpur village but that appears to be a very small portion of the road,” he said.Part of the link road falls under Gautam Budh Nagar as well as Bulandshahr districts.Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh said traffic pressure on the road had increased recently. “We have spoken to officials to widen it. The redevelopment work has started and the project will be completed in two months,” he said.Yamuna Authority said the road falls under the jurisdiction of Public Works Department. A department official said widening work had already started, under which the road would be widened from 7 metres to 10 metres. “As per the plan, the road will be widened by 1.5 metres on both sides. The road redevelopment project will cost Rs 41 crore. After this, the road will be resurfaced,” he said, adding that the project will be completed in two to three months.On Tuesday, a group of workers was engaged in earth filling and widening work near Jahangirpur village. Uttam Kumar, a worker at the site, said he had been working there for three months. “Some part of the widening work has been completed, while the remaining work will be completed soon,” he said.
