Agra-Jaipur highway revamp to boost tourism
Vishal Sharma
Agra. The golden triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur has a tarnished stretch. The popular circuit that accounts for the lion’s share of tourism revenues is hamstrung by the poor condition of Agra-Jaipur road.
Tourists travelling on the National Highway 11 have to cope with one of the worst stretches of inter-state roads, that too without necessary amenities.
All this is about to change.
The Union surface transport ministry has recently approved the conversion of the Agra-Jaipur stretch of NH-11 into an international standard four-lane highway that is earmarked for completion by the end of the year 2009.
According to the National Highway Authority of India sources at Agra, the project could cost Rs 928 crore with the Agra-Bharatpur stretch alone costing Rs 195 crore.
Work on the project is expected to begin as early as February and the NHAI is all set to acquire land adjoining the NH-11 to broaden the road.
Those in the travel business are expecting to reap manifold returns from this project. They have been demanding better Agra-Jaipur transport links for several years now.
Talking to Business Standard, Sabita Jain, director, Nirvana Tours, said the existing road link between Agra and Jaipur came as a rude shock to tourists, especially foreign ones, after the smooth run on the Delhi-Agra route.
The poor condition of NH-11 meant that the 235 kms that should, on paper, be covered in three and a half hours, took almost six hours.
Not surprisingly, this very factor dissuaded many tourists from travelling to Jaipur from Agra.
Besides, Jain pointed out, the two-lane highway without dividers made for a risky drive. Accidents on this stretch of the highway are not uncommon.
There is a spill over effect to the project as well. Tourists bound for Jaipur can make a stopover at Emperor Akbar’s medieval capital, Fatehpur Sikri, located on NH-11.
This would mean more value for money for the tourists and more revenues for the travel operators and the host of other trades that are dependent on tourism.
Tourists travelling on the National Highway 11 have to cope with one of the worst stretches of inter-state roads, that too without necessary amenities.
All this is about to change.
The Union surface transport ministry has recently approved the conversion of the Agra-Jaipur stretch of NH-11 into an international standard four-lane highway that is earmarked for completion by the end of the year 2009.
According to the National Highway Authority of India sources at Agra, the project could cost Rs 928 crore with the Agra-Bharatpur stretch alone costing Rs 195 crore.
Work on the project is expected to begin as early as February and the NHAI is all set to acquire land adjoining the NH-11 to broaden the road.
Those in the travel business are expecting to reap manifold returns from this project. They have been demanding better Agra-Jaipur transport links for several years now.
Talking to Business Standard, Sabita Jain, director, Nirvana Tours, said the existing road link between Agra and Jaipur came as a rude shock to tourists, especially foreign ones, after the smooth run on the Delhi-Agra route.
The poor condition of NH-11 meant that the 235 kms that should, on paper, be covered in three and a half hours, took almost six hours.
Not surprisingly, this very factor dissuaded many tourists from travelling to Jaipur from Agra.
Besides, Jain pointed out, the two-lane highway without dividers made for a risky drive. Accidents on this stretch of the highway are not uncommon.
There is a spill over effect to the project as well. Tourists bound for Jaipur can make a stopover at Emperor Akbar’s medieval capital, Fatehpur Sikri, located on NH-11.
This would mean more value for money for the tourists and more revenues for the travel operators and the host of other trades that are dependent on tourism.
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