Phase one of Gurugram’s ‘Hazard Marking’ exercise in works to prevent accidents

The three-phase project began with vehicle shock absorbers being placed at 45 locations at multiple stretches between Signature Tower in Sector 14 and Kherki Daula in Sector 84, along the Delhi-Jaipur-Gurugram expressway (NH-48).

Traffic police have been implementing phase one of its extensive “Hazard Mark” exercise by installing 300 crash tyre barricades at different locations in the city over the past three months, officials said on Friday. The three-phase project began with vehicle shock absorbers being placed at 45 locations at multiple stretches between Signature Tower in Sector 14 and Kherki Daula in Sector 84, along the Delhi-Jaipur-Gurugram expressway (NH-48), according to officials familiar with the matter.

Crash tyre barricades installed at Signature Tower Chowk near foot-over-bridge. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Dr Rajesh Mohan, DCP Traffic, said that several critical points, intersections, city squares, and black spot areas were identified following an extensive study carried out by the Traffic Engineering Center (TEC) of these areas, including a recent survey at NH-48. “Taking action on a report submitted by road safety experts, collision cushions were placed at high-density traffic areas like Rajiv Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk and Kherki Daulatabad,” Mohan informed.

Experts at TEC used geo-tagging to visually map the crash barriers and track their placement at accident-prone areas, including medians, gores, tapered zones, and sharp curves. Notably, 42 accidents were reported on NH-48 in the last two months, resulting in 20 deaths. “These crash tyre barriers are placed strategically at center dividers, roads’ shoulders or edges, and as two-way protection on underpasses,” said a senior road safety engineer at TEC.

“The crash tyres are designed with reflective marking for high-visibility, considering the fog and low-visibility during the forthcoming winter season,” a senior traffic official added. He noted that the retro-reflective cushion design is aimed at highlighting the lack of proper delineation in gore areas, which eventually contribute to traffic congestion and accidents.

“For phase two, our focus will be on installing road safety marking infrastructure on highways, including NH48. Following its successful conclusion in the coming months, phase three is intended to capture the city’s busy intersections and dividers to turn them into accident-free zones,” Mohan said.

The timeline for different phrases has not been finalised, as the traffic department is working on multiple fronts, including creating a road safety plan for school children and their safe transit, officials added.