Jaipur, July 2 (IANS) The trial run on the Bandikui-Jaipur Link Expressway, connecting the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to Jaipur, started on Wednesday. The journey from Jaipur to Delhi will now take just 2.5 to 3 hours, offering a faster and smoother travel experience

The trial run started at 8 a.m., and no toll will be levied during this trial period of ten days.

The ultramodern expressway is undergoing quality checks and facility testing through the trial runs to identify and rectify any shortcomings before toll collection officially begins in the coming days, said officials. On the first day, the expressway was opened directly for traffic.

Additionally, the Khuri Interchange has been made operational to manage traffic coming from the Manoharpur-Kauthun highway. If all goes smoothly, traffic from other interchanges will also be allowed on the expressway within a day or two.

The 67-kilometre-long, four-lane access-controlled expressway stretches from Bandikui in Dausa district to Jaipur in Rajasthan and is nearly complete.

Vehicles will be permitted to travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h on this modern roadway. Impressively, construction was completed ahead of schedule.

Once fully operational, the expressway will significantly reduce travel time and will reduce the journey from Bandikui to Jaipur to just 25-30 minutes, compared to the previous duration of over an hour, which will eventually reduce travel time from Jaipur to Delhi and so on.

Furthermore, with its link to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, travel time from Gurugram to Bandikui will be reduced to just three hours.

Other tracks which will be connected on the Expressway include Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Manoharpur-Kauthun Highway (via Khuri Interchange) and additional interchanges which will be opened soon, depending on trial success.

“All preparations for toll collection are complete. As soon as we receive the green signal from higher authorities, toll operations will commence,” said B.S. Joiya, Project Director, NHAI Dausa Unit.

According to officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the 66.91-kilometre-long Bandikui-Jaipur Expressway has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1,368 crore.

During the ongoing trial phase, all vehicles except tractors, motorcycles, and other restricted categories will be allowed to pass without interruption.

Once fully operational, the new expressway is expected to significantly reduce travel time, with the journey from Jaipur to Delhi expected to take just 2.5 to 3 hours.

Proposed Toll Rates (for private cars) include Rs 150 for the 66.91 km Jaipur-Bandikui Expressway, Rs 550 to Rs 560 for the full Jaipur-Bandikui-Sohna stretch, Rs 130 for the Sohna-Gurugram six-lane highway and Rs 680 to Rs 690 total toll between Jaipur and Delhi

–IANS

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