Several ongoing infrastructure projects of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), including three underpasses, two flyovers, an elevated road, and an elevated U-turn, across the Millennium City are expected to be completed within two years. Once completed, the projects will improve vehicular movement at important intersections, reduce travel time and offer respite to commuters from frequent jams.
Among the projects, the four-lane underground U-turn near Ambience Mall and the elevated U-turn near Shankar Chowk, both NHAI projects, are likely to be completely first.
Construction ban
“Both the projects are running ahead of schedule. We hope to complete the underground U-turn by May 31 and the elevated U-turn by April. Both these projects as well as widening of Sohna Road, and an elevated five-km road project were delayed by over two months due to ban on construction activities for almost 45 days in November last year due to high levels of pollution,” said project director of NHAI (Gurugram) Ashok Kumar Sharma.
Motorists coming from the direction of Jaipur and going towards Ambience Mall and DLF Cyber Hub are forced to travel to Rajokri flyover in Delhi to take a U-turn. The 377-metre underground U-turn will help cut travel time and reduce traffic congestion at the Rajokri flyover. The NHAI has footed 50% cost of the ₹102.94-crore project, the rest has been equally shared by DLF and the owners of Ambience Mall.
Similarly, the elevated U-turn will reduce traffic on National Highway 48 as vehicles coming from the direction of DLF Cyber Hub and taking a U-turn towards Delhi will no longer have to use the highway. The 455-metre elevated U-turn is being built at a cost of ₹58.96 crore with the NHAI contributing 75% of the funds. The remaining cost will be borne by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram. As per the contract, the two projects are to be completed before September this year.
For the six-laning and strengthening of a 22-km-long stretch of National Highway-248A, locally known as Sohna Road, starting from Rajiv Chowk, the NHAI has awarded two separate tenders. The first tender pertains to six-laning and strengthening of the road from 0.340 km to 9.28 km, starting from Rajiv Chowk and also includes a 4.75-km elevated road. The deadline is July 31, 2021. The second part of the project, which has a deadline of July 29, 2021, covers the remaining distance. A three-lane service road will also be constructed on both sides of the stretch.
Removing encroachments
“Both the packages of the project were delayed due to large-scale encroachment along the road. But the first package, measuring around 10 km, was the worst hit. Of the 404 structures required to be demolished, only 104 are left. Most of these structures are in the first package. As many as 11 cases are pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” said Mr. Sharma.
The total cost of the project is around ₹1,700 crore.
He, however, added that both packages would be finished before the completion date, though the second package could be completed earlier than the first.
Thanks to unprecedented real estate development, including shopping malls, residential group housing societies and office space, Sohna Road has become one of the busiest stretches in Millennium City.
The Vatika Chowk, an intersection point of Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road and the Southern Peripheral Road, and the stretch passing through Badshahpur village, witness frequent jams and long traffic snarls. The five-km elevated road from Vatika Road till Badshahpur village is expected to bring a huge respite to the commuters.
The construction of flyovers and underpasses at the busy HUDA City Centre metro station intersection and Atul Kataria Chowk in Old Gurugram are two other important projects — both are being carried out by the GMDA.
The 246-metre flyover and 710-metre underpass at the HUDA City Centre intersection, being constructed at an estimated cost of ₹70 crore, are expected to provide a respite from the round-the-clock traffic congestion. A GMDA official, on condition of anonymity, said both projects would be completed by August.
“The work for the flyover is almost complete. Since the underpass was passing below the metro line, we had applied for a No Objection Certificate from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to avoid any harm to the metro structure. We received it two days back. We will work in close coordination with DMRC authorities regarding a 20-metre stretch of the underpass that is passing below the metro line,” said the official.
He added that the work for the flyover and underpass at Atul Kataria Chowk may be completed by the end of the year. “It is not the execution of the work but the shifting of the utilities that is the major challenge in any infrastructure work in Old Gurugram. But we hope to complete the project by the end of the year,” said the official. The ₹50-crore project comprises a flyover on Old Delhi Road connecting Kapashera to Mahavir Chowk and the underpass on Signature Tower Road to Mata Sheetla Road.
Widening road
The six-laning of a three-km stretch of arterial road from Umang Bhardwaj Chowk to Dwarka Expressway will also be completed by the end of the year. It is being built at an estimated cost of ₹110 crore.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, in a meeting on April 15, 2017, had directed the widening of 5.6-km stretch from Hero Honda Chowk to Dwarka Expressway.
A 2.6-km stretch on this road will be widened by the NHAI i.e. the first 2,200 metres and the last 400 metres.
