Motorists hit out at KMP Expressway’s poor upkeep after ‘tyre bursts’
Drivers reported tyre bursts and breakdowns on a damaged 2km stretch near Palwal. HSIIDC said repair work began but paused briefly due to Diwali.
Multiple vehicles broke down on the Western Peripheral Expressway (Kundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway) on Monday after deep potholes along a 1.5 to 2-kilometre Gurugram–Palwal stretch caused tyre bursts and traffic disruptions, motorists said. The expressway, already in poor condition for months, has become increasingly unsafe for drivers, particularly at night, commuters claimed.
A widely shared video from Monday showcasing the six-lane expressway stretch, verified by HT, showed three cars parked bumper-to-bumper on the same spot, surrounded by potholes, as heavy trucks sped past dangerously close. “Who’s responsible for this? At midnight, when the whole expressway is empty and there’s no help around, if your tyre bursts like this, it’s literally a matter of life and death within seconds,” wrote Arun Panwar, an influencer, while sharing the footage on social media. In the clip, a commuter was seen repairing his white Toyota Innova, which allegedly had two tyres burst while crossing the damaged patch.
Another motorist from Uttar Pradesh said he was unaware of any warning signs ahead of the damaged stretch. Manish Yadav, a local businessman from Manesar, said a long patch of the highway, about two to three kilometres before the Palwal toll, is in “debilitating condition”. “I travel at least twice on this route every month, and the only thing I feel while driving is to somehow find a safe alternative to complete my trip,” he said.
Since July, there have been three serious accidents on the KMP Expressway. On August 19, a truck collided with a SUV near Bahadurgarh, resulting in the deaths of five labourers and the injuries of 32 others, according to police and local administration. Yadav said the road’s condition worsened during continuous rain in August, leaving motorists struggling with jams and damaged lanes.
Ashok Danoda, a daily commuter, said there were no signboards alerting drivers to broken patches. The major parts of the motorway connecting Palwal to Gurugram have sustained damage for over six months. Even after paying ₹6,400 and ₹1.35 per kilometre toll, authorities couldn’t provide a safe road,” he said.
In response to the complaints, Anuj Garg, who heads the engineering division of the Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and oversees the KMP Expressway, admitted the challenges commuters face. “A tender to repair the expressway was finalised in August, and a private firm started work about fifteen days ago. However, the work was temporarily halted due to Diwali,” he said. Garg said that accident-prone areas and black spots would be prioritised for repairs before winter. “As part of the first phase, taping, marking, and signage installations will begin next month,” he said.
Garg said that they didn’t face any halt in construction work on the expressway amidst the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) - phase II, however, they were taking the requisite precautions by safe and covered transportation of covered material. “In case construction activities face any obstruction, we will write to the deputy commissioner for special permission to resume the work.”
