Cycle tracks, footpath repairs expected to streamline traffic at Rezang La Chowk

In a move to decongest Rezang La Chowk, one of the city’s worst traffic bottlenecks, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority has constructed a 1

In a move to decongest Rezang La Chowk, one of the city’s worst traffic bottlenecks, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority has constructed a 1.1-kilometre cycle track, repaired footpaths and shifted electric cables below the surface, to set up traffic signals at short notice for traffic management purposes as well as for installing streetlights, as part of its redesign plan.

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“The construction of cycle tracks and footpaths is completed. Work on markings, installing relevant signage is pending, which will be completed within the next 15 days. The redesign is part of GMDA’s long-term plan of providing cycling and pedestrian tracks across major intersections and junctions,” said Jitender Mittal, chief engineer, GMDA.

Mittal said that the GMDA is also compacting the roundabout by a small margin and aligning its geometrics to ensure proper dispersal of traffic at all ends. “The roundabout is marginally wider at one end, due to which dispersal of traffic is not equal from all ends. We will be reducing the width of the roundabout for better traffic management,” said Mittal.

Mittal said that electrical cables were placed underground to erect traffic signals. “We did not want to excavate any part of the road again and wanted to finish all utility works under a single project. Electrical cables have, thus, been placed for both streetlights and traffic signals. The streetlights are already functioning, and the traffic signals and their poles will be erected on short notice, whenever it is required as a traffic management solution,” said Mittal.

The redesign was done by GMDA in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI) and Raahgiri Foundation.

“Despite having a high number of pedestrians and cyclists accessing the junction, Rezang La Chowk did not have even a single pedestrian amenity until now. The redesign was, hence, carried out to address the issues of non-motorised transport as well as for better traffic management,” said Sarika Panda Bhatt, co-founder, Raahgiri Foundation.

Rezang La Chowk in Palam Vihar derives its name from a war memorial inaugurated at the junction in December 2012 to honour 114 martyrs, a large majority of them from Haryana, who died defending the high-altitude pass near Ladakh in 1962.