Yamuna Expressway, 165 km highway that links Greater Noida and Agra has been inaugurated on Thursday by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow while the senior leader of Samajwadi Pary, Ramgopal Yadav, has flagged off the vehicles on the Expressway near Noida today according to the sources.

The toll road were open to public starting at 4 pm in the evening after the inauguration. The toll rates have also been approved at Rs 2.10 for every km for cars and light motor vehicles. Toll Gates would be present at 38 km, 95 km and 150 km locations and there is a plan to construct two new toll on the expressway soon.

This is the longest access-controlled expressway in the country and was developed by Jai Prakash Associates. It can cut the conventional four to five hour journey to a two to three hour journey allowing vehicles to travel at 120 kmph.

During the inauguration of the Expressway he had said that the plan of a 1047-km-long Ballia-Noida Ganga Expressway was dropped SP has not favored it.

Initially called the Taj Expressway and measuring over 165 km, 165.537 km to be precise, the flyover starts at Greater Noida's zero point while it finishes at NH2 at Agra. The expressway has six interchanges, 70 underpasses, 75 cart track underpasses, 41 minor bridges and 182 culverts.

The expressway has finally manifested after encountering several road blocks and also one of the  most violent farmer agitations land compensations in 2010 and 2011. To counter the fierce agitations  police have also resorted to firing killing over six people.

Jaypee Group, the promoter for the Expressway, would build and develop integrated townships in 500 hectare lands, present at Noida, Jaganpur, Mirzapur, Aligarh, and Agra.

AW- Anil