Gaur Chowk underpass to open for trial runs today

GREATER NOIDA: The Greater Noida authority on Wednesday said the 700-metre-long underpass at Gaur Chowk, parallel to the Yamuna Expressway, will be opened for trial runs on November 5

GREATER NOIDA: The Greater Noida authority on Wednesday said the 700-metre-long underpass at Gaur Chowk, parallel to the Yamuna Expressway, will be opened for trial runs on November 5.

If the trial run is successful, with smooth traffic movement, the underpass will be formally opened, said officials. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

If the trial run is successful, with smooth traffic movement, the underpass will be formally opened, said officials.

“We have not announced a date for its official inauguration. The date will be finalised shortly,” said Vijay Rawal, deputy general manager, Greater Noida authority.

The underpass aims to ease congestion at one of Greater Noida West’s busiest traffic junctions, added officials.

Vivek Tiwari, a resident of Gaur City, called the underpass the first major infrastructure project dedicated to Greater Noida West residents.

“There were heavy traffic jams during peak morning and evening hours. We are hopeful and excited about the underpass as it is expected to ease congestion at the junction,” he said.

Officials said the authority had initially planned to open the underpass on August 15 but missed the deadline.

The inner walls of the underpass will feature paintings depicting nature and Gautam Buddha and the shades on both sides of the structure have been completed. The authority has also developed two U-turns near Gaur Chowk and resurfaced the road running alongside the underpass, said officials.

Last week, the authority reinstalled the Chaar Murti statue at Gaur Chowk. It had been removed during construction of the project two years ago, added officials.

Construction began in July 2024, with an 18-month completion target. However, the project was delayed due to restrictions imposed under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and work stoppages during peak traffic hours, said officials.

The authority completed the main slab of the underpass in September last year, allowing vehicles travelling from Noida towards Gaur Chowk and Ek Murti to move without a diversion.

The six-lane underpass runs alongside a 60-metre-wide road and is designed to provide a direct link between Greater Noida, Gaur City and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, said officials.

The underpass will allow vehicles to bypass the junction. Of its total 700-metre length, 350 metres extend on either side of the junction. The project has a sanctioned cost of ₹92 crore.

The opening of the Parthala flyover in 2023 eased bottlenecks at Parthala Chowk but shifted a significant part of the traffic congestion towards Gaur Chowk, added officials.