Build underpasses on Gurgaon e-way in 15 months: Gadkari tells NHAI

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has directed the National Highways Authority of India to complete the construction of three underpasses on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway within 15 months, and not 30 months as was planned by the highways authority.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to complete the construction of three underpasses on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway within 15 months, and not 30 months as was planned by the highways authority.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari addresses a gathering after laying the foundation stone of three underpasses on the Gurgaon Expressway on Sunday. (Rahul Grover/HT Photo)

The minister also said that the Dwarka Expressway (Northern Peripheral Road) will be completed within a year. The announcement was in contrast to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s statement who said the road will be completed in two years due to litigation issues.

“The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has almost finished NPR in Gurgaon and resettled landowners displaced by the project. Only a small stretch (1.75km) in New Delhi is stuck in litigation and its completion may take another two years,” Khattar said.

Khattar proposed to connect the expressway with a four-lane road originating from Bajghera till Bijwasan in New Delhi. Khattar said this will end Haryana’s dependency on the Delhi government to solve the litigation issues. It will also add another route between the two cities, thereby reducing pressure on NH 8 and the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road.

Replying on the issue, Gadkari said he has held talks with the Delhi government and the hurdles in the NPR project is expected to be solved soon.

“The Delhi government has assured that the litigation hassles are almost solved and the process of land acquisition has started. I am expecting the Dwarka Expressway to be operational within a year,” Gadkari said.

The NHAI had set a deadline of 30 months (March 2019) for finishing the work on the underpasses project at a cost of more than Rs 1,005 crore. The underpasses will be built at Rajiv Chowk, Signature Tower and Iffco Chowk.

Gadkari said he pulled up the NHAI for planning to take a long time to complete the underpasses.

“In this duration (30 months), most road projects across the country can be completed collectively. I met engineers of the NHAI and voiced my concerns. They have guaranteed that the project will be completed within 15 months,” Gadkari said.

The Rajiv Chowk underpass is designed with two straight signal-free underpasses from Old Gurgaon Road towards Sohna Road and a loop underpass from Medicity Road to New Delhi is designed at the existing U-turn.

The design of Signature Tower Chowk also has two straight underpasses crossing NH-8 from Maharana Pratap Chowk to Huda City Centre with exclusive lanes for two and three wheelers.

The third underpass at Iffco Chowk will cross the Gurgaon Expressway from Sukhrali village towards ‘Mall Mile’ on MG Road.