GMRL proposes double-decker metro corridor on Gurugram’s SPR

The plan merges the metro line and an elevated road on shared piers between Ghata and Vatika chowks to cut costs and congestion.

To prevent congestion, land wastage and structural duplication along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), the Gurugram Metro Rail Limited has proposed designing the Sector 56 to Pachgaon metro corridor as an integrated double-decker viaduct between Ghata Chowk and Vatika Chowk.

(Representative image) Officials warn that separate elevated projects would duplicate foundations and restrict drainage and future infrastructure space. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Under the proposal, one deck of the viaduct would carry the metro line while the other would support an elevated road, both resting on common piers. A proposal has been submitted to the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation and its design consultant, which are currently preparing the project for execution on the ground.

A senior GMRL official said the double-decker model has been successfully implemented in cities such as Nagpur, Jaipur and Bengaluru, helping optimise right of way, reduce the number of piers and foundations, and substantially lower construction costs. “The double-decker design will help in reducing cost for the proposed metro and elevated road, which is also planned on this stretch. If all the stakeholders, including local civic agencies, join hands, then this proposed project can be redesigned and planned holistically,” the official said.

The Sector 56 to Pachgaon Metro Corridor is proposed as an elevated line, with its detailed project report (DPR) currently under preparation and pending state government approval. Simultaneously, the Haryana government and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority have approved an elevated road on the SPR between Ghata Chowk and Vatika Chowk.

“These two major mobility projects overlap on the same stretch but are being processed independently as elevated structures. If both are built separately, the corridor will face severe long-term constraints,” GMRL said in its proposal, citing near-complete occupation of the right of way, duplicated foundations, excessive pier density, compromised drainage and maintenance access, visual congestion and loss of future infrastructure options.

To address this, GMRL has proposed a comprehensive DPR for the metro corridor that also incorporates the design, alignment, structural systems, and cost of the elevated road on the Ghata–Vatika stretch. “This will ensure that both facilities are engineered as a single integrated double-decker structure with unified pier placement, consistent geometry, and coordinated construction sequencing,” the proposal said.

The 36-km metro line from Sector 56 to Pachgaon is estimated to cost about ₹8,500 crore and will connect Golf Course Extension Road, SPR, Central Peripheral Road, developing sectors along the Dwarka Expressway, pass through the Manesar industrial area and terminate at Pachgaon. As per the draft DPR approved by HMRTC, the corridor will have 28 elevated stations from Sector 56 to Pachgaon.