Hero Honda Chowk flyover structurally safe but needs major repairs: Report

The CRRI, which carried out a detailed visual and structural inspection of the flyover over the past six months, identified weak spots that require either retrofitting or complete replacement of the deck slab.

The Hero Honda Chowk flyover in Gurugram has been found structurally safe but in need of major repairs, according to a report submitted by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The NHAI’s technical committee is currently reviewing the report, and a final decision on the mode of repair is expected by November 15, officials said.

A damaged portion of Hero Honda chowk flyover near Sector 34 in Gurugram on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The CRRI, which carried out a detailed visual and structural inspection of the flyover over the past six months, identified weak spots that require either retrofitting or complete replacement of the deck slab, a reinforced concrete slab forming the surface of a bridge, constructed over girders, that transfers live loads to the supporting structure below. “The Hero Honda Chowk flyover was mapped by technical experts from the CRRI and they have submitted their recommendations which are now under the consideration of the technical committee of NHAI. The flyover has been found structurally safe but the experts have identified few weak spots on the bridge, which need to be repaired. This can be done either through local repairs or by replacing the entire deck slab. The final call about mode of repairs will be taken by the technical committee and the decision is expected by November 15,” said a senior NHAI official aware of the matter.

A senior CRRI official confirmed that the institute had completed the audit and handed over its findings to the highway authority. “The report has been submitted to the highway authority for further action,” the official said.

The audit was commissioned after the flyover suffered damage in the first week of January this year, when a portion of the bridge on the extreme right lane of the Jaipur-to-Delhi carriageway lost plaster and concrete, exposing iron bars and creating a hole measuring about 3 feet by 2 feet, through which the road underneath was visible. Following the incident, NHAI on January 10 tasked CRRI with a detailed structural investigation. The affected lane has since remained closed to traffic.

This is not the first time the structure has faced such issues. Since becoming operational in 2017, the Hero Honda Chowk flyover has suffered major damages thrice prior to this year. On April 23, 2018, a large chunk of concrete fell from the Jaipur-Delhi carriageway, leaving a 15 cm-deep and 250 sq cm-wide hole. The same side was again damaged on May 8, 2019, when chunks of concrete fell off, creating another hole. In May 2024, the flyover suffered a cave-in, prompting authorities to form a committee to probe the recurring structural problems.

Construction of the flyover began in November 2014. The Delhi-Jaipur carriageway opened to traffic in March 2017, followed by the remaining portion a few months later. The total project cost was ₹200 crore.