Noida: Noida Authority has sought progress reports from its work circles to expedite the long-delayed FNG Expressway project. Conceived as a 56-km, six-lane corridor connecting Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad, the project has faced repeated delays over land acquisition hurdles, funding issues and poor coordination between UP and Haryana authorities. Of the 23-km stretch under Noida’s jurisdiction, only 11.6km has been completed so far.The project will begin at Chijarsi along NH-24 and will terminate at NH-2 in Faridabad via Noida, but several sections remain incomplete – including the construction of a 650-metre elevated road in Chajarsi village, estimated to cost Rs 61 crore.The expressway will pass through Noida’s work circles 6, 7, 8 and 10. “We have sought details from different work circles about its status and issues. We will soon resolve them and expedite the construction work,” said Noida general manager AK Arora.A key issue leading to delays is a pending land dispute currently in court, due to which one lane near Sorkha village remains unfinished because of an old structure. The expressway also passes over the Hindon River, where approval from the irrigation department is still awaited. An elevated road has also been proposed for this section.The FNG project will also intersect with the Noida Expressway, where an underpass has been planned. The total length of the incomplete work is 12.1km , with an estimated cost of Rs 1,314 crore.Currently, commuters travelling between Noida and Faridabad take the Kalindi Kunj route, which encounters heavy traffic congestion. The project will provide a direct link between the two cities by bypassing Delhi, offering a faster and more efficient alternative route. Travel time between Noida and Faridabad, which currently takes more than two hours, is expected to come down to around 30 minutes, officials said.Last year, Haryana govt approved the construction of a 550-metre bridge over the Yamuna River, a key component of the FNG Expressway. The cost of the bridge will be shared equally by the UP and Haryana govts. However, Noida officials said they have not yet received any update regarding the project.The bridge is to tie the two banks of the river that runs along the UP-Haryana border near Lalpur and Noida’s Chak Mangrola in Sector 168.First proposed in 1993, the FNG Expressway is one of the oldest road projects in the region. However, it could not take off due to lack of coordination between the two state govts. In 2012, Noida Authority revived the project but it failed to keep pace due to land disputes. Officials have now said that plans are underway to complete it next year.In 2023, the project had gathered some steam when former Ghaziabad MP VK Singh requested NHAI to assume responsibility for the incomplete portions, but work on the ground has continued to crawl along since.In Aug last year, Noida launched a major plantation drive along FNG Road, spanning nearly 5km from Parthala roundabout to Chhijarsi village. This stretch connects Noida with Ghaziabad. An agency was hired to maintain the green cover for two years.The drive involved digging the roadside ground up to 60 cm deep, followed by loosening an additional 30 cm of soil at the bottom. Plant species like Tecoma Gaudichaudi, Calliandra Emarginata, Nerium Oleander and Bougainvillea were planted along the stretch.Around the same time, the Authority also initiated work on creating dust-free zones in parts of sectors 74, 75, 76 and 77. The initiative includes maintenance of parks, green belts and roadside spaces to reduce dust and improve air quality in the areas covered.
