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Gurugram: MCG to develop 1.5km stretch as model road
The 1.5km stretch, known as Khatu Shyam Mandir Marg, will provide an alternative route and will also help commuters of Sector 53 and DLF 5 bypass the heavily congested St Thomas Marg
An internal road linking Golf Course Road (GCR) and Dhani Chowk in Sector 53 will be developed as a model road, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) said on Sunday. The 1.5km stretch, known as Khatu Shyam Mandir Marg, will provide an alternative route and will also help commuters of Sector 53 and DLF 5 bypass the heavily congested St Thomas Marg, they said.
On the GCR side, the stretch is located between South Point Mall and Parsvnath Exotica residential society, and ends at Dhani Chowk near Ardee Mall, located on the stretch connecting Golf Course Extension Road to Huda City Centre. Although Khatu Shyam Mandir Marg passes behind residential areas of DLF 5, the residents have no access to it.
According to the officials, any stretch free of potholes and encroachments, and having adequate provisions for pedestrians with dedicated footpath, benches, green belts, bins, and parking spaces is known as a model road.
“Last week, a consultant for the project was appointed and they are in the process of preparing estimates. Then the project will be presented before the finance and contract committee for approval, following which tenders for finalising a contractor will be floated,” said Sunder Sheoran, executive engineer, MCG, who is overseeing the project.
Kuldeep Bohra, MCG ward 31 councillor, said that the civic body has approved a ₹1.53 crore proposal for developing the stretch.
“Currently, the 1.5km stretch is viewed as an internal pothole-ridden village road. With adequate amenities as part of the model road project, it can have the same significance as the more prominent St Thomas Marg,” said Bohra.
During a house meeting on July 31 this year, Bohra had floated an agenda for constructing model roads in all 35 municipal wards of the city which was subsequently approved.
“For nearly three months, there was no progress on the matter. In the last month’s house meeting, I once again raised the model road issue which prompted MCG officials to act on the matter. The MCG has finalised Khatu Shyam Mandir Marg as the site for model road,” said the councillor.
The two-km-long St Thomas Marg carries heavy volume of traffic between Genpact Chowk on GCR and Kanhai Chowk. Residents say that due to the heavy traffic, crossing the stretch during peak hours takes around 15-20 minutes.
“St Thomas Marg is a heavily congested stretch, especially near the Paras Hospital traffic signal which alone takes 10 minutes to cross. Upgrading of Khatu Shyam Mandir Marg will thus provide an alternative route to commuters, leading to reduction in congestion,” said Rakesh Kapoor, a resident of DLF 5.
