GMDA facelift for 14km road to Dwarka expressway

A traffic study to implement the plan has already been carried out by a consultant appointed by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is planning to upgrade a stretch of nearly 14 kilometres from Iffco Chowk to Dwarka expressway, passing through Basai Road by widening it.

The old MG Road that connects Mahavir Chowk to Iffco Chowk on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

A traffic study to implement the plan has already been carried out by a consultant appointed by GMDA, which is compiling the results and is likely to submit it to the authority soon, GMDA officials said. The authority is planning to reduce congestion in the city by building elevated roads.

Currently, this road sees heavy congestion on the stretch between Iffco Chowk and Sukhrali, where the authority is planning to widen the road and remove encroachments. The road from Sukhrali to Mahavir Chowk will also be expanded, and in Mahavir Chowk the authority plans to redesign the area, with facilities for parking, pedestrian foot paths and movement of vehicles. From Mahavir Chowk to Bhuteshwar temple, the authority will expand the Gurudwara Road and road from Mor Chowk to the temple, which are parallel.

GMDA officials said that a detailed survey had been carried out of the entire stretch by a consultant, traffic studies done and the results are being compiled, which shall be submitted to the authority soon. “MG Road is one of the oldest roads in the city and at one point of time it was used to travel from Delhi to Gurugram and upto Jhajjar. This 14 kilometres stretch is in the heart of Old Gurugram and it has been decided to upgrade it and improve its connectivity to Dwarka expressway so that people can travel seamlessly to reach the Dwarka expressway,” said Amit Godara, executive engineer, GMDA.

Under the plan, Godara said the authority will construct an additional flyover parallel to the existing road over the bridge near the Basai Water treatment plant. “This parallel structure will ensure smooth movement of traffic at this juncture as presently it witnesses congestion. The flyover will be constructed parallel to the existing road over the bridge upto Basai Chowk. This will be a four-lane structure that will stand on single piers similar to the Dwarka expressway,” he said.

From Basai Chowk upto Bhuteshwar temple near Sadar Bazar, the road will be widened and it will have six lanes. “There is land available on this road and if developed properly, three lanes on each side and facilities for pedestrians can be created. From Bhuteshwar temple upto Jail land another elevated four-lane road has been planned to reduce congestion. This will be constructed on the central verge of the roads,” he said.

Towards Iffco Chowk, the GMDA plans to redesign the area around Mahavir Chowk to make movement of vehicles, pedestrian and non-motorized transport smooth. “Facilities for pedestrians such as footpath paths parking for vehicles and suitable resting space will be created at this busy junction,” he said.

Mukesh Pradhan, former president, Huda Complex fruit market near Sadar Bazar said that expansion of the road and new flyovers would significantly reduce congestion. “There is traffic congestion and jams in old Gurugram. More such roads should be upgraded in the old city for easy movement of traffic,” he said.

From Mahavir Chowk to Iffco Chowk, the authority plans to ensure that six lanes are made available to commuters and this will be done by removing encroachments on both sides. “On the entire stretch there are six lanes available at some places and four lanes at other points. We will ensure that entire road has uniform six lanes, and encroachments at various locations such as Sukhrali and inside the city will be removed,” said Godara.

GMDA officials said the length of the elevated flyovers and other structures would be finalized based on the ground report submitted by the consultant. The authority will also ensure that traffic installations such as streetlights, traffic calming measures and other fixtures are installed along with civil works to ensure there is no delay.

Sarika Panda Bhatt, city-based transport expert and founder Raahgiri, when asked about the plan said that instead of building more roads and flyovers, the GMDA should focus on expanding the public transport system in the city, which was very deficient. “There is need to add 1000 buses to the transport system, provide last mile connectivity from the metro. The bus system should be expanded to neighbouring towns and suburbs. Expansion of roads and building flyovers is not a solution to this problem,” she said.