GMDA to repair two-kilometre stretch between Sirhaul, Kapashera borders

GMDA officials said that the purpose of the “special repairs” is to provide an alternative route for commuters stuck in congestion at either of the border points as well as for diverting traffic in case of an emergency

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) will carry out repair works of a key two-kilometre stretch that connects Sirhaul toll and Kapashera border, through Udyog Vihar, and upgrade the infrastructure for smoother traffic flow and reduce the traffic volume at Sirhaul border, officials said on Wednesday.

Experts said the repair can reduce traffic load at Sirhaul toll by 24%. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

GMDA officials said that the purpose of the “special repairs” is to provide an alternative route for commuters stuck in congestion at either of the border points as well as for diverting traffic in case of an emergency.

The GMDA floated a ₹6.54 crore tender for this project, which is expected to take at least nine months to complete from the date construction commences. Officials said that they will start work on the project after the monsoon, in September, and in the interim, finalise a contractor and complete all other tendering work.

The repair work will involve extensive relaying, dismantling of damaged bitumen road with cold milling machines, widening of carriageways, fixing and filling of potholes, building a new footpath and service roads, as well as laying and fixing basic stormwater drain along the stretch.

The official cited above said that the contractor will have to submit an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹13.09 lakh for placing a bid and the validity of the bid will last for 120 days. The official said that since the project cost is over ₹5 crore, the contractor will also have to hire technical personnel, such as a site engineer, plant engineer and a quantity surveyor to oversee the project. Further, the contractor will have to start work seven days after a work order is issued and will have to maintain the stretch for 36 months after the completion of work.

GMDA officials said that of the ₹6.54 crore, ₹4.36 crore is the expected cost for the work, barring the money needed to lay and fix stormwater drains.

As per GMDA’s 2019 comprehensive mobility plan (CMP), nearly 334,000 and 64,000 vehicles travel through the Sirhaul toll and Kapashera toll, respectively, on a usual weekday. The two routes cumulatively carry 44% of Gurugram’s traffic, the CMP further states. Due to the high volume of traffic, both stretches often witness snarls and it takes commuters 20-40 minutes to cross the border during peak traffic hours. The CMP was compiled by the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) on the behest of GMDA.

Sewa Ram, an urban transport systems design expert and a faculty member of SPA, said that the two-kilometre stretch, along with a proposed road connecting Cyber City (DLF Phase 3) with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, were proposed as measures for reducing traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

“The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway has reached a saturation point. Hence, the repairing and upgrading of the Udyog Vihar stretch were proposed so that small distance traffic travels through the Kapashera border rather than the Sirhaul toll. Together, the two stretches can bring down the traffic volume at Sirhaul toll by more than 24%,” said Sewa Ram.