GMDA seeks MG Road upkeep ahead of NHAI handover

A senior NHAI official confirmed that a consultant had been appointed to prepare a detailed project report for upgrading the Gurugram section of MG Road

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to appoint an agency to maintain the MG Road stretch in Gurugram ahead of its formal handover, seeking to prevent deterioration while improvement work continues, officials said on Friday.

A view of Iffco chowk, The section between the Westin Hotel near IFFCO Chowk and Sikanderpur Metro station is currently maintained by GMDA. It forms part of the MG Road corridor designated a national highway, linking NH-48 in Gurugram to the Delhi-Haryana border (HT Archive)

The section between the Westin Hotel near IFFCO Chowk and Sikanderpur Metro station is currently maintained by GMDA. It forms part of the MG Road corridor designated a national highway, linking NH-48 in Gurugram to the Delhi-Haryana border.

In an October 16 letter, GMDA requested NHAI to arrange operation and maintenance of the stretch on priority, even before the transfer is completed. It said the handover would follow completion of ongoing improvements and approval by the competent authority.

“The formal handing over of the aforesaid road stretch to NHAI shall be undertaken upon completion of the ongoing works, subject to requisite approval of the competent authority of GMDA,” the letter said.

A senior NHAI official confirmed that a consultant had been appointed to prepare a detailed project report for upgrading the Gurugram section of MG Road. The proposal seeks to reduce traffic interruptions and could include elevated sections, depending on feasibility.

The highway authority is also planning major improvements on the Delhi side of MG Road, from the Haryana border to Andheria Morh, an approximately 8.5km stretch.

Officials said a detailed project report had been prepared for the Delhi section, with an estimated project cost of ₹980 crore. The proposal envisages signal-free movement and about 4.5km of elevated road alongside the Metro corridor. This includes a proposed elevated section between Andheria Morh and CDR Chowk, aimed at easing congestion.

An NHAI traffic survey estimated daily traffic on the corridor at 150,000 passenger car units, a measure that converts different vehicle types into their passenger-car equivalents.

The agency has also begun seeking approximately five hectares of land from government bodies, including the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, India Meteorological Department and National Communication Academy, for the upgrade.

NHAI published a construction and upgradation tender for the Delhi stretch, covering its existing six-lane carriageway and service roads, on November 5, according to the central government’s official e-procurement portal.